


Candlewood

by mg344



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, F/F, Horror, Knotting, Lesbian Sex, Master/Pet, Romance, Super bottom Amethyst, Witch Garnet, Witches, shapeshifting dicks, vampire pearl, werewolf amethyst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 17:40:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 79,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21712348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mg344/pseuds/mg344
Summary: On a dark and stormy autumn night, Amethyst arrives at the doorstep of the cursed house known as Candlewood Manor. There she meets Pearl, a solitary vampire with a blatant lust for human women and a strange connection to the house she resides in all alone.
Relationships: Amethyst/Pearl (Steven Universe)
Comments: 76
Kudos: 169





	1. The pet

The two travelers made their way up the narrow road through a curtain of heavy autumn rain. The one in the lead had one hand gripping her horse’s reigns, while her other arm stuck out in front of her, holding a lantern that illuminated the falling rain about five inches around it, and little else.

Both horses stopped abruptly at the base of the hill where Candlewood Manor sat atop. In the dark, it was impossible to see the gothic mansion. All the same, the beasts began to toss their heads and whinny in agitation. Their hooves stomped the muddy ground. 

“C’mon!” the rider in the back urged, trying to command the animal to go forward. His horse reared up in response. The rider up front dismounted and her boots splashed into the earth, which had turned into a soupy mess by that point. She removed her hood and approached the horse in the back, reaching up to try and calm it. The horse snorted and brought all four feet onto the ground. It bowed its head as the woman cradled its face in her hands and stroked it. 

“The horses won’t go any further. They never go past this point,” she explained. “Here.” She held her arms out to the boy. “I’ll help you down.”

“I don’t need it,” he mumbled, gruffly. All the same, he dismounted with some effort and ended up sliding awkwardly off the saddle, steadied by the woman’s hands. She lifted him down and set him on his feet. Embarrassed, the boy ducked his head and tugged his hood further over his face.

The pair headed up the hill on foot while the horses hung back. The boy glanced over his shoulder at the animals. “Why are they spooked?”

“Who can say?” the woman said with a shrug. “Most of the townspeople are superstitious about Candlewood. I’m the only one who goes there. I’m sure on some level, both humans and animals can sense something unnatural about the place.”  
  
The boy did observe an uneasy feeling as they continued forward. But it wasn’t enough to deter him.

“So why do you go?” the boy asked. 

“I’m also unnatural, I suppose,” she answered. “The mistress of Candlewood is a bit of a shut in, but I consider her a friend of sorts. I deliver her supplies so she doesn’t have to venture into the town. But she’ll go, from time to time.”

“You’re a witch, right?” the boy asked. “That’s uh, what the barkeep told me, anyway.”

“I’ve been called that.”

“And... why are you agreeing to take me here?”

“That...” the woman said, smoothly. “Is because I saw something interesting in your future, if I did.” She glanced over her shoulder, a mischievous twinkle in her violet eyes and the faintest hint of a grin. 

They stopped at the edge of a moat, with the woman holding out an arm to stop the boy from stepping into it. “Stand back,” she commanded. The two of them backed up a few steps and slowly, the draw bridge was lowered. The boy squinted in the darkness but he couldn’t see the mechanism controlling it, or anyone who was doing it.

The pair crossed over the bridge, onto the grounds of Candlewood Manor. Although the house was shadowed by a cluster of skeletal fir trees and the details of it were muddled by dark and rain, the boy could clearly see a few windows were lit up with orange light. At the sight, the boy was reminded of how cold and wet he was. The rain had soaked him through, plastering his cloak to his body. He was shivering, but adrenaline had blunted the feelings of being cold and wet. It was beginning to wear off. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to warm himself in front of a fire. He hoped the mistress would allow for it.

The woman pushed against one of the arched oak doors and it gave with some effort. The pair stepped in out of the rain and into a rather inviting looking interior. 

There were flickering candles lining the walls and set on tables to give the entryway a welcoming feel. Right in front of them was a staircase that cut off into two wings. And the boy caught sight of a figure descending the stairs from the right side, hurrying into the center and then stopping abruptly. 

Despite the woman referring to her as the mistress of the house, her appearance was rather androgynous. She was tall, gaunt, and dressed in black slacks and a ruffled silk shirt that exposed more of her chest than was proper for a lady, although there wasn’t much of a bosom to cover. Her skin was pale, and smooth and unblemished as a china-doll, although it was difficult to say if she was actually young or not. Her hair was also cropped fairly short in the back, although on either side of her head it was long enough to cover her ears. 

The unnatural paleness of her eyes, including the washed out grey of her pupils would’ve suggested blindness, had she not clearly been focusing her gaze on the pair of travelers in her house. The paleness of her skin and eyes might’ve indicated albinism, but even that didn’t seem correct. 

She didn’t look human, at least not fully. She possessed all the necessary parts to make her so, but there was an uncomfortable uncanniness about her appearance that made the boy recall a changeling, or some kind of angelic being. There was something too polished about her. From her ramrod straight posture to her blemish-free skin, to the unnatural pale green of her eyes. It wasn’t any wonder as to why the townspeople would find her unsettling and choose to stay away.

The boy stayed close to the witch’s side, unsure of what to make of the other woman. He could see she was tense in the way she stood with her hand gripping the banister. Her eyes studied him, uncertainly. “Garnet, you... brought a guest,” she spoke, punctuating the statement with a nervous laugh.

If the boy had had any doubt as to her gender, her voice established her as female for certain. Her voice wasn’t overtly high-pitched but unmistakably feminine, with a clear musical quality to it that the boy couldn’t explain to himself. 

“Yes I did,” Garnet answered, stepping aside and gesturing to him. “This person has been determined to work for you since they came into town.”

“Work for me?” the mistress asked, wrinkling her nose. She began to descend the staircase. “I don’t have any use for that sort of thing.”

She stopped in front of the boy and the boy reacted by averting his gaze. She was thin but carried herself in such a way as to suggest she was more powerful than she let on. She was a series of contradictions and the boy felt intimidated by her. 

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Muh-Mulligan... Jack Mulligan... ma’am.” 

“Let me see you...” The woman reached out a pale hand and cupped the boy’s face. She lifted his chin, examining him. It sent a heated blush across his face. Her eyes drew him in and he locked gazes with her, unable to look away. He felt strange, intoxicated, and warm. “Your real name, if you please,” the mistress commanded. 

“Amethyst.”

“You don’t pass for a boy very well. You’re much too pretty. You have... an interesting scent.” The mistress took a whiff just above the top of Amethyst’s head. She let go of her chin and left Amethyst to stand, bewitched. She turned to Garnet. 

“Who is this woman?” she asked. Garnet shook her head.

“All I know is that she’ll change your fate.”

“There’s no such thing as fate.”

“If you don’t want her, I’ll take her back to town with me,” Garnet said, nodding in Amethyst’s direction. 

The mistress turned back to Amethyst, who was staring off into nothingness through half-lidded eyes. “I suppose I could keep her as a pet,” she mused.

“Be gentle,” Garnet warned. The mistress huffed, offended. “I mean it, Pearl. I’ll be back to check on her.”

“I won’t _hurt_ her,” Pearl groused, crossing her arms. “Really, Garnet. How long have you known me? Have I ever battered a woman?”

“I meant emotionally,” Garnet clarified. At that, Pearl faintly blushed.

“I’m predictable, am I?” Pearl asked.

“Even if I wasn’t a soothsayer, I could still predict your future,” Garnet answered. 

Garnet removed the bag she’d been carrying under her cloak and handed it to Pearl. Pearl took it, smiling with gratitude.

“What would I do without you?” she cooed.

“You’d hunt,” Garnet said, simply. She pulled her hood up and turned to leave.

“You won’t stay for a while?” Pearl asked, disappointed.

“Not this time. But I’ll be back, same time next week.”

“As always.”

“Have a good evening, Pearl.”

Garnet exited the house and closed the door behind her. Pearl sighed and undid the clasp on the bag to look inside. There were several corked bottles inside the bag, all of them full of a dark liquid. She started to walk off with them before turning to look over at Amethyst, who remained where she was. 

“You may follow, Pet,” Pearl beckoned. The pair walked further into the house, with Pearl leading the way. She brought the bag into the kitchen and knelt down, opening a hatch in the floor. She carefully set the bottles inside the hole in the floor before she shut the latch again. The wet bag was simply tossed over one of the kitchen chairs as she passed, to be dealt with later. She was much more interested in her guest, anyway. Her guest, who was still very much under her glamour, completely hypnotized. 

Pearl tucked her arms behind her back and curiously circled the woman. Her cloak was plastered to her body, hugging her curves in a rather alluring way. Pearl took her time looking her over, although she didn’t touch. “Remove your cloak,” she instructed. Amethyst did so and Pearl took it from her, feeling how heavy it was with water. She observed that under the cloak, Amethyst had been hiding long hair, although it was soaking wet and tangled. 

“You must be freezing cold,” Pearl said. She put the cloak on the chair. “Come, I’ll find you some dry clothes.”

The house had many bedrooms, and Pearl picked one at random to lead Amethyst into. She opened the wardrobe, turning to study Amethyst for a moment before she decided on what to have her wear. A floor length nightgown was decided on and Pearl paused as she held it, looking at Amethyst again. She could’ve undressed her, herself. She entertained the thought for a moment.

Her little guest was heart-achingly alluring. Pearl loved plump, soft young women the most. Garnet had carelessly tossed a sweet little fawn into a lion’s den. The sight of her had Pearl remembering decades past, where she’d invite young maidens to her chambers quite often. In her bed, she ravished them, kissing them until they begged for her to take them higher. She remembered the way they felt, soft and warm under her hands. Kissing and suckling their round, firm breasts. Urging their soft thighs apart with her hands. Hearing them squeal and gasp when Pearl would kiss them between their legs and savor in their sweet nectar. 

Pearl coughed, embarrassed by her own vivid fantasies. She handed Amethyst the nightgown and released her from her spell. 

Amethyst started, clarity returning to her eyes. She snapped her head back and forth, confused. “Wh-where-?”

“Don’t fret,” Pearl said, bringing Amethyst’s attention back to her. “Garnet has left. You’re staying. It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

“Did you drug me?” Amethyst asked, fearfully.

“Hypnotized, my dear. It’s called ‘glamour’ and it’s something any vampire can do.” She smirked. “Garnet didn’t tell you what I was? How odd. She seemed as though she cared for you enough to warn me she’d be back to check in. But not enough to let you know what I am. Hm.”

Pearl had seen and experienced every possible reaction to the revelation that she was a vampire. Save for one. No reaction at all, which was how Amethyst responded to it. No fear, no curiosity, nothing.

“Well, warn a girl before you hypnotize her,” Amethyst mumbled. She held up the night gown. “This for me?”

“I... yes,” Pearl answered, perplexed. She was taken aback as Amethyst began to undress right in front of her, peeling off her wet clothes and dropping them to the floor. She glanced over at Pearl. 

“Could I get a towel to dry off?”

“Oh, yes. Certainly,” Pearl said. “Will a blanket do?” She pulled one off the bed and Amethyst took it from her. 

“Yeah... thanks.”

Pearl watched her dry herself. Since Amethyst hadn’t complained about being stared at, Pearl didn’t see the harm in it. She drank in the sight of her, feeling the stirrings of a sleeping lust beginning to awaken. She couldn’t believe how shameless she was. In the past, she’d drawn women to her with charm and charisma. And they’d always followed her willingly into her bed where she happily lavished them in pleasure and affection. 

And now she was reduced to simply leering at a woman from across the room? It was shameful. Still... she was enjoying the view. 

“Beautiful.”

Amethyst turned quickly, a blush heating up her cheeks. “ _Me_?” she asked in disbelief. She finally seemed to show some timid behavior and she held the blanket up to cover herself.

Pearl hadn’t meant to say it out loud but she decided to own up to it. “Yes. You’ll have to forgive me, Amethyst. But my weakness is beautiful young women, such as yourself.”

“Wait, you know my real name?” Amethyst asked.

“Well, yes. How long were you expecting me to think your name was actually Jack Mulligan?”

Amethyst sighed. “I just pretended I was a boy so someone in town would take me seriously.”

“I believe the illusion was shattered the moment that cloak started clinging to you.”

Amethyst’s eyes widened. She glanced at the floor.

Pearl sat back, sitting with her legs opened ever so slightly. “I don’t know what you were expecting me to do for you,” she said. “But whatever work you had in mind, I have no use for. There is something you can do for me, though. If you’re willing.”

Amethyst looked wary. “What’s that?”

“Stay a while, keep me company...” Pearl said, her voice soft and velvety. She gazed at Amethyst, openly lustful. “I haven’t had the pleasure of the company of someone like you in a long while.” She smirked when she saw a flicker of interest in the woman’s eyes, which she quickly tried to hide by looking away again. She was blushing heavily by then but her tight grip on the blanket had begun to relax.

“Someone like me...?” Amethyst asked. 

“Does that surprise you? Surely you must have many admirers.”

Amethyst shook her head. “No.”

Pearl frowned. “Suitors? Lovers?”

“No, not at all.”

“Well... then if I’m truly the first person to tell you it, I’ll say it again. You are stunning, Amethyst.”

Amethyst bit her lip. “I don’t know your name.”

“It’s Pearl. My name is Pearl...”

Amethyst was quiet a moment, thinking it all over. She looked over at Pearl and for the first time, shyly gave her a glance over. It didn’t go unnoticed by Pearl but she didn’t comment on it. “Okay...” she agreed, softly. She took a deep breath. 

Pearl smiled and she got to her feet. “Well then, you dry and dress yourself. This room is to your liking, I hope? I have many bedrooms but they’re more or less identical.”

“N-no, this room is fine,” Amethyst answered. 

“Alright,” Pearl said, walking past Amethyst and to the door. “Please make yourself comfortable. I’ll be back.”

Pearl left Amethyst to get settled and went into her kitchen again, producing a serving tray from the cupboard and setting it on the counter. She ate food often enough, although she didn’t have much on hand, and she rummaged around the pantry and cellar for anything she could serve Amethyst for dinner. 

She had salted venison hanging to dry, as well as potatoes, onions and carrots. She fancied herself something of a gourmet and she was certain that Amethyst would be impressed with her cooking. She got to work, intending to make a hearty venison stew. Since it was so cold and damp out, it seemed an appropriate choice. It would warm Amethyst from the inside out, and hopefully relax her. 

The only issue was that stew took time to cook. But even that wasn’t a deterrent for Pearl. Although Garnet was a witch, anyone could learn some spells. And Pearl just so happened to know a spell to speed up cooking time. She hoped her guest would like it. Her first order of business was to make sure that Amethyst was taken care of, comfortable and fed. 

Amethyst took out what few belongings she’d brought with her and set them out to dry. She didn’t have much. Some hard tack and tinned meat, some money, a cross necklace and a dagger. And the clothes on her back. Which were currently drying over a hanger in the closet. She’d put on the nightgown and took a moment to marvel at how soft the fabric was. She was doubly impressed when she tried out the bed. It was luxury beyond anything she’d experienced before. 

She splayed out on the bed and had almost dozed off when a knock in the doorframe startled her. Pearl entered the room, balancing a tray. Amethyst sat up, curiously. Before Pearl had even gotten close, she could smell that the vampire was bringing food. Whatever it was, it smelled divine. And Amethyst’s empty stomach began to rumble as she was reminded of the fact that she hadn’t eaten since the morning.

Pearl set the tray down on the bed. Amethyst observed that it was a bowl of meaty stew and a crust of bread with butter on the side. There were also two wine glasses and a bottle, which Pearl uncorked with ease. She poured some red wine into one of the glasses and offered it to Amethyst, who took it. She looked confused and surprised.

“This is all for me?” Amethyst asked.

Pearl smiled and sat next to her on the bed. She poured some wine for herself as well, but the food was all for Amethyst and she didn’t touch it. 

“Of course. I take care of my guests,” Pearl said, simply. She could see Amethyst eyeing the stew and Pearl gestured to it. “Please don’t be shy. Eat. You must be starving.”

With that, Amethyst ripped into the crust of bread first, eagerly smearing it with as much butter as she could. She took a bite and moaned at the taste. “I’ve never had butter before,” she said with her mouth full. “It’sh sho good... mm!” She set the bread down and picked up the spoon next to the bowl of stew. She loaded it up with as much meat and potatoes as she could, blew the steam off, and took a bite.

With the spoon in her mouth, Amethyst’s eyes widened. Pearl looked concerned for a moment, but it quickly dissipated when Amethyst moaned again, putting a hand to her cheek and wiggling with happiness. She chewed and swallowed her first bite, then turned to Pearl.

“This is... amazing!” she exclaimed. “What kind of meat is it?”

“Venison,” Pearl answered, smiling warmly. “You like it?”

“Mmhmm!” Amethyst nodded eagerly and she dug in with the spoon for more. Pearl sat back, watching. She felt very pleased with herself. Everything from her clothes to her disheveled appearance seemed to indicate that Amethyst had come from a poor background. So Pearl was happy to give her an experience she’d never had before. She daintily sipped her glass of wine as Amethyst ate, just gazing at her. 

Amethyst finished her food and wine and left all her dishes as clean as possible. She sat back, looking drowsy and satisfied. Pearl gathered up the tray and took it off the bed, setting it on the dresser nearby. She felt Amethyst’s eyes on her and Pearl turned to look at her. Amethyst was looking rather intensely at Pearl. 

“Thank you. Okay... I guess I owe you for that amazing meal,” Amethyst said, uncertainly. She tilted her head to one side and pulled her long hair aside to reveal her neck. “Just be... gentle, okay?”

Pearl stared at her for a moment before she burst out laughing. “What?!” she sputtered. She tried, to little avail, to cover her laughter behind her hand. “You think...? Haha! Oh, Amethyst! I should take offence to that but you look so serious!”

Amethyst withdrew, embarrassed. She looked down at her lap and self-consciously started twisting her hair in her fingers. “I... I thought you wanted to drink my blood!”

Pearl’s laughter died down a little and she sighed and wiped a tear from her eye. “Oh goodness. No.”

“Sorry...” Amethyst mumbled. “You said you were a vampire, so...”

“Yes, and Garnet the witch delivers all the blood I need to me. So I don’t have to feed off people.”

“Oh...” Amethyst blushed. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright, Pet,” Pearl assured her, smiling. “Maybe I would bite you in time, but it’s not something I take lightly. And it has to be consensual. I’m very adamant about that.”

Amethyst looked confused. “Why would anyone consent to that?”

Pearl strummed her fingers against the dresser top. “Some people are curious about how it feels. Some find it pleasurable.”

“But isn’t it something that can kill people?”

There was a flash of something in Pearl’s eyes for a brief moment that made Amethyst recoil a little. It was hardness, coldness. Outside of her generic pleasant mood, it was the first flash of something... not so pleasant. But it was only there briefly. And then it was gone.

“I would never,” Pearl answered. “I’m not some uncivilized beast. I take a bit, from those who allow it, and that’s all. It’s not about sustenance. Not really...” She looked thoughtful. “It’s more about... trust. Intimacy, maybe.”

“Okay, I’m not so nervous now...” Amethyst sighed, smiling. She studied Pearl, who remained hovering around the dresser. “So... what do you want from me, then?”

“The pleasure of your company, I suppose,” Pearl answered with a shrug. “Whatever that might entail is up to you. Like I said, it has been a while. But the limits are yours to set.”

“Okay...” Amethyst agreed. “Are you gonna come back over here, or...?”

“If you’re tired, I can leave you to rest,” Pearl offered. 

“It’s okay, I’m not too tired yet,” Amethyst answered. 

Pearl smiled and she walked slowly back over to the bed. “That’s good because...” She set her hands on the mattress and leaned over Amethyst. “I was hoping we could spend the rest of the night getting to know each other better.”

Amethyst shivered. “O-okay,” she agreed. 

Pearl joined Amethyst on the bed, sitting with her legs crossed. She looked at Amethyst and patted her lap. “Come sit, Pet...” she coaxed. “I won’t bite you, I promise.”

Amethyst shyly sat in Pearl’s lap. Pearl slid her arms around her middle, finally getting to touch her. The vampire could feel the heat from her body and the soft give of her belly.

Amethyst felt Pearl’s fingers in her hair, stroking it back from her shoulder. She tensed when she felt Pearl kiss her neck. Pearl felt it too and she withdrew the kiss. “Please tell me if you’re uncomfortable,” she said, seriously. “I want to make you feel good. If you don’t enjoy it, I don’t enjoy myself.”

Amethyst nodded. “It’s okay... I’m just nervous, that’s all...”

Pearl stroked Amethyst’s cheek. “Tell me... have you ever been intimate with anyone else before?”

Amethyst froze. “I... I...” she stammered.

“Are you a virgin?”

Amethyst exhaled, slowly. “I’ve never even been kissed before,” she confessed, sounding ashamed.

“How can that be?” Pearl asked. “An angel like you. Do you want me to stop, then?”

“No... don’t stop,” Amethyst sighed. 

“You let me know if I’ve hit your limit,” Pearl said. She resumed kissing her neck, keeping the contact soft and gentle. She heard Amethyst hum in appreciation. But her body language and tension still betrayed her nervousness. Pearl didn’t mind, though. She could unravel even the most tightly wound woman. 

“Tell me something about yourself, Amethyst,” Pearl whispered, between kisses. 

“L-like what?” Amethyst asked. She gasped when she felt the faintest of nips on her skin, followed by Pearl’s lips gently suckling the skin.

“Whatever you feel comfortable telling me...” Pearl answered. She gently pulled the nightgown down to reveal Amethyst’s shoulder.

“I-I... grew up in Danbis,” she said, her voice thin and breathy. 

“Mm... that’s a bit of a ways away, isn’t it?” Pearl asked. She gently ran her hand over Amethyst’s breast and she felt Amethyst push against the contact. “I’ve never been, but I’ve heard it’s a very pretty country.”

“It is...” Amethyst agreed. Talking seemed to relax her a little, or at least distract her from her nervousness, which was what Pearl wanted. 

“You have family there?” Pearl asked.

“Not anymore...”

Pearl cupped Amethyst’s breasts in her hands, feeling their softness and warmth through the fabric of her nightgown. She ran her fingers over her nipples, feeling them harden under her touch. She rubbed them gently, hearing Amethyst’s breath hitch. 

“Do you like having your breasts touched?” Pearl asked.

“I... I think I do,” Amethyst whimpered.

“Do you think you’d enjoy having them suckled?”

Amethyst drew in a shuddering breath. “Y-you could try it and see...”

Pearl grinned. She didn’t lift Amethyst’s nightgown. Instead, she closed her lips over one of her nipples and sucked it right through the fabric. Amethyst gasped. Pearl’s mouth was so hot and she sucked and released with throaty sounds. Amethyst could do little more than paw at her own breast and push it up to encourage Pearl to do more. Pearl released her nipple from her mouth and pulled the nightgown neckline down, scooping Amethyst’s breasts up and pulling them out of the fabric.

Pearl went back in again with a moan, taking the other nipple into her mouth without the barrier of fabric between them. She preferred it because she could taste Amethyst’s skin better that way. She lashed her tongue over the hardened nub, drawing out a whimper from her human pet. Pearl released her nipple and licked it a few times before she sat up and drew the woman in close.

Amethyst breathed deeply. Pearl’s hands explored her body. She gently squeezed her breasts, belly and thighs, just enjoying the fleshy, warm sensation of touching her. Amethyst’s scent continued to perplex Pearl. She didn’t have a typical human woman smell. It wasn’t a bad smell and it was one that only someone with a nose as delicate as hers could pick up on. Perhaps it was only the smell of the rain and earth clinging to her. Pearl hadn’t even considered offering Amethyst a bath. 

“You’re exquisite,” Pearl whispered, her lips marking a path over any piece of exposed skin she could find on Amethyst. “So lovely... what an angel you are...” She whispered the words into Amethyst’s ear as her hands busied themselves under her nightgown. She ran her fingers over Amethyst’s thighs. She gently urged them apart. Immediately, Pearl’s nose was filled with the scent of Amethyst’s arousal. She smiled in satisfaction. The smell was too enticing to resist. It had been too long. She had to have her tonight. She had to make this beautiful creature hers. 

“Lie back, relax,” Pearl instructed. Amethyst did so, trying to get comfortable on the bed. It wasn’t difficult, considering how soft it was. “May I remove this?” She gently tugged at Amethyst’s night gown. “I won’t let you get cold.”

Amethyst nodded and with that, Pearl carefully worked off her nightgown and pulled it over her head. She set it aside and gazed hungrily at the woman offered up to her. “Ohh... look at you...” Pearl whispered, completely in awe. 

Amethyst stared up at her. She’d never in her life had someone comment on her appearance in such a way. It was an odd feeling. Pearl was reacting to her as though she were a work of art. Although Pearl’s own beauty was unearthly, Amethyst truly felt like the vampire woman wouldn’t have any trouble seducing would-be lovers. More beautiful lovers.

Pearl ran her fingertips over Amethyst’s body, now hers for the taking. She let her hands memorize the curves of her hips, the deposits of extra flesh that she shamelessly squeezed, the softness of her skin, her enticing breasts. And then Pearl reached out and touched her fingers to Amethyst’s lips, so smooth and plump. Made for kissing. She started to lean down to kiss her, but Amethyst stopped her.

“Take your clothes off, too,” she said. 

Pearl sat back. “Oh, alright, Pet... just for you.” She undressed herself while Amethyst looked on. Slowly, Pearl revealed her own body, which was lean and pale. Her arms and legs were thin but had muscle definition to them. Her ribs protruded slightly as she arched and slipped off her shirt. Her breasts were small, barely little peaks of flesh, but her chest was still feminine. She also had a bit more shape to her than her clothing had let on, with a small waist and slight hips. 

Amethyst stared at Pearl. “Can I...?” She reached her hands out. Pearl seemed surprised but leaned into her touch.

“Of course.” She let Amethyst’s hands curiously roam over her body. Her hands were so warm and soft, and the touches almost made Pearl sleepy with how nice they felt. She sighed and smiled as she felt Amethyst touch her face. She closed her eyes and gripped Amethyst’s wrist, planting a kiss into the palm of her hand. She held Amethyst’s hand against her cheek and turned to nuzzle it. 

“You’re way more angelic than me,” Amethyst decided. “You don’t even look real, you’re so flawless.”

“I suppose my particular condition has a tendency to smooth out the wrinkles and imperfections that make someone look human,” Pearl mused. “But I still prefer your body to mine. It’s so... delicious.”

Amethyst chuckled. She pulled Pearl down, eager for a kiss. Pearl happily obliged her, capturing Amethyst’s curved, plush lips against her own. And then Pearl was greedily urging Amethyst’s mouth open, eager to get inside. Amethyst didn’t put up any resistance and Pearl’s exploring tongue plunged into Amethyst’s mouth. Amethyst’s own tongue was so soft and wet, swirling around Pearl’s. She was inexperienced, but enthusiastic, and Pearl found it very endearing. 

She tasted the faint richness and spices from the stew she’d eaten, as well as the sweeter taste of the wine. Pearl lost herself to it, her focus narrowing to their mouths, and the warm, wet clashing of their tongues. She felt Amethyst arch, her breasts pressing into Pearl’s chest. In response, Pearl began to knead and squeeze them, which elicited a moan from Amethyst that was muffled against her mouth.

Pearl pulled back to gaze at Amethyst. Once again, Amethyst was taken aback by the raw adoration Pearl seemed to have for her. It was most certainly an act. They were strangers, they barely had a rapport and certainly didn’t have any genuine affection between them. And yet, Amethyst couldn’t help but enjoy it all the same. Even if it wasn’t real. Even if Pearl was a stranger to her. She just seemed so grateful to have her there. And in their brief time together, Pearl had shown her kindness and care. So for what it was, Amethyst was satisfied. 

“I’ll make you feel amazing, Pet...” Pearl whispered, brushing her hair back. “Let me make love to you. You’ll love it, I promise.”

Amethyst’s heart was beating fast. She knew it was unlikely that anyone else would ever glance her way again. She felt like her inexperience was of no consequence to Pearl, who just wanted to pleasure her. So Amethyst nodded. “Okay...” she squeaked. 

With that established, Pearl gave Amethyst a grin before she slid out of her view, moving down her body, and settling between her legs. She carefully pushed Amethyst’s thighs apart, as wide as she could. Amethyst felt incredibly exposed and embarrassed by the position. It only increased tenfold when she realized Pearl was studying her. Her face was right between her legs. Amethyst almost started to panic. She was probably soaking wet, she probably smelled terrible. She hadn’t bathed in a few days, she hadn’t had any time to prepare herself or make herself presentable. She put her hands between her legs, covering herself.

“Ah, wait... maybe... um...”

Pearl raised her head and rested her cheek on Amethyst’s hip. “I’m sorry. I was staring too intently, wasn’t I? I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“I’m dirty down there, you shouldn’t... put your mouth there. I mean, that’s what you were gonna do, right?”

“You’re not dirty,” Pearl answered. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be with you tonight, Amethyst. I’m so excited to be doing this. I’m elated that you’ve allowed me to go this far. I would love to continue, if you’ll let me.”

Amethyst sighed, feeling herself blushing again. “Okay...” she relented, taking her hands away. She didn’t really know what else to say to Pearl when she was so enthusiastic. She felt like she was cruelly denying her something.

“Thank you,” Pearl whispered. “Please don’t worry about how your body looks to me, because I can assure you, it’s wonderful. Just focus on how it feels.”

Amethyst nodded.

Pearl dipped her head down again and Amethyst could feel her hot breath ghosting over her pussy. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the sensations, as Pearl instructed. She couldn’t believe her first time was going to be with a vampire woman. 

Pearl pressed her nose into the patch of hair covering Amethyst’s mound. She inhaled a few times, savoring the thick, sharp smell of Amethyst’s musk. Her mouth was watering. She couldn’t wait any longer. 

Pearl closed her eyes and brought her mouth down, letting her tongue explore Amethyst’s pussy first. She traced over the soft folds, over the entrance to her vagina, which Pearl shamelessly lapped up some leaking fluid from, and located Amethyst’s clitoris just under her wiry pubic hair. Pearl turned her focus to that point and began to probe at it with the tip of her tongue, trying to gauge Amethyst’s sensitivity there. Some women loved having their clit sucked and licked, while others could barely stand it. 

Amethyst’s reaction to the contact was to tense up in her thighs and suck in a breath, but otherwise remain silent and still. Pearl lapped at her hard nub, pushing her tongue around in the hood of flesh that protected it. Amethyst whimpered and squirmed. 

It was music to Pearl’s ears, hearing the woman vocalizing her pleasure. Pearl began to lick her clit with long, lingering strokes from her tongue. Amethyst’s desperate little cries became louder. Pearl went further, pressing her mouth against Amethyst’s pussy and latching her lips onto her clit to suck it.

Amethyst jerked her hips up but Pearl had expected that and she kept herself from being bucked off. She moaned as she sucked, feeling the nub pulsing between her pursed lips. 

Amethyst writhed with pleasure, unable to keep still. It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Pearl’s suction on her clit was harsh but so satisfying. The occasional grazing of her teeth only increased the sensations. Amethyst couldn’t believe such feelings were taking place in her own body. She’d never been able to evoke them in herself, but somehow a complete stranger knew exactly how to bring her to new peaks of pleasure. And her pleasure was climbing, with every sucking sensation, and every moan that Pearl sent vibrating into her clit. It was so intense. It was insane. She felt like she was going to lose her mind. But she kept clinging it, feeling it taking her higher and higher. 

And then it spilled over in a rush of heat and a wave of pleasure that spasmed inside Amethyst and flooded her with warmth. She let out a final cry before she collapsed onto the bed. Pearl sat up, licking her lips of any lingering taste of Amethyst. Looking somewhat smug and satisfied, she stretched out next to Amethyst on the bed. Amethyst rolled into her, latching her arms around Pearl’s neck. The gesture surprised Pearl but it wasn’t unwelcome. Pearl brought her arms up to encircle the woman and she kissed the top of her head.

“You’re such a dear little thing,” Pearl cooed. “You did such a good job.”

“Me...? You did all the work,” Amethyst protested, tiredly. 

“But that’s how I like it,” Pearl assured her. “You’re mine to play with.”

“Oh god, play with me every damn night,” Amethyst pleaded. She buried her face against Pearl’s shoulder. “That was... incredible.”

Pearl smiled and cuddled with Amethyst. It was a gesture that suggested a deeper intimacy than they had, but Pearl didn’t mind things like that. She was happy to just have another pretty young woman in her company. She missed it the way she missed a good glass of wine, or the way she might miss spring in the middle of the winter. Having new, young blood in Candlewood Manor made her feel invigorated. And she was eager to keep Amethyst around. 

“What now?” Amethyst asked. Pearl chuckled as she curled a lock of Amethyst’s glossy lilac and hair around her finger. 

“That’s up to you, Pet,” Pearl answered. “You’re free to come and go as you please. But I’m happy to have you as my guest. I’ll let you sleep here, and I’ll prepare your meals. I only ask that in return, I can ravish you when I like.”

“That’s not such a bad deal,” Amethyst said. “I don’t really have anywhere else to go.”

“Then stay,” Pearl suggested. She slid her hand down the curve of Amethyst’s side. “With me, you can experience luxury and pleasure beyond anything you’ve felt before.”

“More than this?”

“Mm... so much more...” Pearl whispered. She pressed a kiss to Amethyst’s jawline. 

“You got yourself a deal.”

Pearl grinned, flashing her vampire canines. “Excellent.”


	2. Moon child

Amethyst woke up some time later, feeling comfortable and rested, which was more than she’d felt in a long time and after several months of sleeping on the ground. She would’ve slept longer, except that she needed to urgently relieve herself and it had become too uncomfortable to ignore. She sat up in the bed and turned to Pearl, who was still asleep next to her. Even in her sleep, when she was most vulnerable, the woman resembled some unnatural being. She wasn’t drooling or mumbling in her dreams, or wearing a silly expression. She was just... asleep. Peaceful and serene. She looked like the body of an aristocrat on display for mourners. Not a hair out of place. Perfectly laid out.

Unnatural. But beautiful. Amethyst wasn’t sure how to go about waking a sleeping vampire so she settled for simply shaking her shoulder, while bracing herself for the possibility that she’d startle the creature and get herself injured. She was hoping that not be the case, though. And thankfully it wasn’t. 

Pearl stirred and opened her eyes. She sat herself up, still completely nude from their previous activities, but not terribly concerned with modesty. “What is it, Pet?” Pearl asked with a yawn.

“I have to pee,” Amethyst said, simply. Pearl looked at her a moment, and then nodded. 

“Of course. I’ll show you where to do that...” She rose from the bed and went to the wardrobe to find herself a robe to slip into. Amethyst settled for putting on her discarded nightgown. She got out of bed as well. The room was still the same, shadowy and lit by candles that hadn’t appeared to have burned down whatsoever. Amethyst had no way of knowing what time it was, or how long she’d slept. But she knew there was a window in the bedroom and she went over to it without thinking, pushing back the heavy curtains.

“W-wait! Amethyst!” Pearl exclaimed in alarm. Amethyst turned from the window, the curtain now open. Outside it was daylight, but the rain hadn’t tapered off whatsoever. The valley was shrouded in fog, and everything was grey and cold. Rain continued to fall and it streamed down the window.

Pearl had retreated, but then she sighed in relief and went over to the window to look out. “Please take care when you open the curtains like that,” Pearl said. “If it were sunny out, I could’ve been badly burned.”

“None of the windows face East,” Amethyst observed. “Even if it was the sunniest day ever... you’d still be okay. Because it’s only direct sunlight... right?”

Pearl chuckled. “You’re rather observant. Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

Amethyst turned to look at her. She hadn’t seen Pearl outside of the flattering glow of candlelight, and she was curious to see her in the day. The grey morning light only emphasized Pearl’s pallor all the more, making it look less alluring and more sickly. Amethyst also observed dark circles under the vampire’s eyes that she hadn’t recalled seeing the night before. Pearl looked a bit worse for the wear. A bit more fatigued than she had been at night, when she seemed much more alert and vibrant. Even her voice sounded slower that morning.

She stared out at the hills for a moment, coming up close to the window. She set her hand against the glass, watching the rain run down the outside. Then she looked at Amethyst, who glanced away. 

“I’m a creature of the night, I’m afraid,” Pearl explained with a tired smile. “I sleep through the day. The daylight has a sedating effect on me.”

“Oh... right, that makes sense,” Amethyst said with a nod.

Pearl turned from the window and walked across the room with Amethyst trailing her. Pearl led her down the stairs and Amethyst watched her wobble and then grip the banister for leverage. Amethyst hurried to her side, holding her arms out. 

“You weren’t kidding! Are you okay??”

Pearl looked embarrassed. “I may have also forgotten to eat anything last night,” she admitted. “I was too distracted by you. That’s not me blaming you for it, by the way.”

“Well, please eat something, then!” Amethyst exclaimed. She helped her down the stairs and into the kitchen where Pearl slumped into a chair. “You’re so skinny, you’ll faint if you don’t eat. Where’s the blood?”

Pearl put a hand to her forehead and pointed to the hole in the floor covered by the hatch. Amethyst opened it and took out a bottle, pulling the cork out with her teeth. She shoved the bottle into Pearl’s hand. “Drink it!”

“No glass?” Pearl croaked.

“Are you serious?”

“Alright, I’ll drink from the bottle. You don’t know where I keep the glasses, anyways.” Pearl pulled a smile and she reached out, gently cupping the back of Amethyst’s head for a moment before she ran her fingers down the back of her neck. “Thank you, Pet.”

Amethyst blushed but returned the smile. “You’re welcome… Where’s the bathroom?” Pearl directed her attention to the kitchen door. 

“Just out the back there, it’s a shed... but don’t go barefoot. Put on the boots by the door.”

“Okay,” Amethyst agreed. She opened the door, letting the sound of the pouring rain into the kitchen and she lifted her nightgown to put the boots on. They were much too big for her and probably too big for Pearl. “Drink your blood, I’ll be right back!” Amethyst shuffled out the door in a wide legged gait, her nightgown hitched up to her knees to keep from getting muddy and her steps awkward to keep from dropping the oversized boots on her feet. Pearl watched, trying not to giggle. Amethyst went into the shed.

Pearl eyed the bottle, sighed to herself and tilted her head back to take a swig. She was ravenous, a fact she realized the second she tasted the blood on her tongue. She downed the entire bottle in one go, feeling a buzz of renewed energy and an urge for more. She got up from the chair and went to the floor hatch, opening it and grabbing another bottle. She uncorked it and began to drink, not even bothering to get up off the floor where she was kneeling.

Amethyst returned to the house and took the boots off next to the door. She looked into the kitchen to see Pearl kneeling on the floor, two empty bottles next to her, one on the table, and one in her hands being rapidly drained as she drank from it with greed. A trickle of blood ran down the curve of her neck. Amethyst noticed she looked more flushed in her cheeks and her skin had taken on a pinkish hue. She was still pale, but she was no longer the snow white of a cadaver. She looked more… alive.

“A-are you okay?” Amethyst asked, warily. Pearl was making strange, guttural noises as she drank. There was something animalistic about the way she hunched on the floor. Her poise and perfection had completely gone. It was at that moment that Amethyst felt she was looking at Pearl’s true form. 

Pearl’s head snapped up. Even her eyes had darkened a little from the introduction of blood into her system. Her thin lips were stained with it. Her teeth were red with it. Her tongue swept up to lick the fluid from her top lip and it looked unusually long, like an animal’s tongue. Amethyst froze on the spot. The door was still open. The rain was still falling behind her, the meagre daylight outlining her body through her nightgown. 

Pearl stared at Amethyst a moment before she slowly lowered the bottle from her lips and pushed the cork back into it, leaving it half finished. She returned it to the storage and closed the hatch. 

“I-I guess I was hungrier than I thought...” Pearl said, her voice soft and distant. She folded her hands in her lap, looking away from Amethyst and intensely focused on a spot on the far wall, trying to will away the embarrassed tears she could feel welling up. 

Amethyst closed the door and took a few steps into the kitchen. “Th-that’s... okay?”

Pearl wiped her mouth, saw that the back of her hand was smeared with blood, and began to weep. Amethyst was alarmed. 

“It’s okay! Hey!” She went over to her and crouched down next to her, putting a hand on her thin shoulder. “What’s the matter? You said you were a vampire! I already knew that.”

“But you looked so scared...” Pearl sniffled.

“I was just surprised!” Amethyst answered. “You seemed so prim and proper, but now you’re sitting on the floor chugging blood from the bottle!”

“I let myself get too hungry...” Pearl sighed. “I look ridiculous.”

“Nah, you look fine!” Amethyst insisted. “It’s kind of... I mean, it’s kind of hot, honestly. Seeing you all ruffled up and wild.”

Pearl stared at her, surprised. “Really?”

“Yeah! You look kind of unhinged. I dunno... I’m into it...” She glanced away with a blush.

“Well, Amethyst... you’re certainly full of surprises.” Pearl shook her head. “I must say, you’ve taken the whole vampire thing remarkably well. You barely reacted to it when I told you.” Amethyst, back in from the rain, had a stronger smell than before, almost to the point of repelling Pearl. Once her blood induced binge had worn off, her sense of smell had come back to her and the scent that was wafting off Amethyst was almost too strong. She had begun to place it, though. She smelled exactly like a wet dog.

“What’s wrong?” Amethyst asked.

“I’m sorry... don’t take this personally. My nose is very sensitive, much more so than a human’s nose. But... you... smell,” Pearl mumbled, embarrassed.

Amethyst blinked and then lifted her arm to sniff. “Oh yeah, I definitely do.”

Pearl didn’t argue with her over the smell. She didn’t smell like human body odor, which didn’t offend Pearl’s nose. She smelled like an animal. A wet, wild animal. Was it all her hair, clinging onto the smell of the woodlands and the rain? 

“I guess I need a bath,” Amethyst said, smiling in embarrassment. “I travel around a lot and I camp outside most of the time. So I usually just bathe in rivers and stuff. Oh, you have a moat right? I could go in there...”  
  


Pearl looked offended. “You’re not going to bathe in the moat!” she exclaimed. “That’s not a bathing moat! And it’s full of leeches.” And although people rarely if ever approached the grounds of Candlewood Manor, Pearl was horrified by the idea of someone from town happening upon the moat only to see a nude woman bathing in it.  
  
  
Pearl smoothed back her hair with a sigh, closing her eyes and trying to find her center. She’d lost her cool for a moment, but Amethyst hadn’t been deterred by it, which she was grateful for. Trying to recover from her embarrassing display, however, seemed like a monumental task. She didn’t know if she could lapse back into her poised, confident persona after something like that. She felt so rattled. Her nerves were frayed. She didn’t usually let anyone see that side of her, and certainly not a human woman.  
  
  
Amethyst could pick up on Pearl’s embarrassment and her change in demeanor. She decided to distract Pearl from her anxiousness, as Pearl had done for her the previous night. “Do you have a bath in here somewhere?” she inquired, smiling.  
  
Pearl glanced at her and then nodded. “Yes. In the basement. I’ll show you to it.”  
  
  
“Do you need to go back to bed, though?” Amethyst asked.  
  
  
“I feel more energized from the blood, now,” Pearl replied. “I don’t know if I could get back to sleep now, anyway.”  
  
  
“Ah, so blood in the morning is like vampire coffee,” Amethyst said.  
  
  
Pearl giggled. “I suppose when you put it that way, it makes sense.”  
  
  
Pearl offered her hand to Amethyst and the woman took it. Pearl led her through the manor, to a wall covered by a black curtain in the middle of the house. Amethyst tilted her head but then Pearl pulled back the curtain to reveal a wooden door behind it. She opened it. The air that blew out from it was surprisingly warm, humid and carrying a faint saline scent. But it was dark inside.  
  
  
“Don’t be afraid,” Pearl said, offering her hand to Amethyst again once she’d opened the door. “It’s just the lower level of the house. It’s underground.”  
  
  
They walked together, single file, their hands clasped together between them as they descended a narrow stone staircase. Amethyst could feel the temperature rising as they walked, even as they were going underground. There were candles lining the wall, all of them lit and burning. Amethyst began to think that the candles in the house were not natural, but powered by some kind of magic. It would explain why Pearl never needed to light any or put any out, and how they always seemed to burn consistently, even over hours.  
  
  
Eventually the stairs ended and Amethyst’s bare feet touched warm, smooth stone. She was standing inside a large bath, not unlike the open-air baths she’d encountered in her travels to different countries. The difference was that the bath was underground, closed off from anyone else. The water was lit from the bottom, but the source of light was difficult to make out through the ripples.

“I didn’t construct this house, but the original owner made good use of this location,” Pearl explained as she gestured to the bath. “The water is from an underground hot spring. It actually is pumped through the entire house in the winter, through tubing under the floorboards, to help heat the home. It’s not something I personally benefit from, but it’s always nice when I have human guests.”

“Who was the original owner?” Amethyst inquired.

Pearl paused and glanced away from Amethyst, putting a hand to her mouth and appearing to look thoughtful. “I don’t recall his name…” she mumbled. “It hardly matters. The point is that I live here now, and you can have a nice, relaxing soak in the bath.”

Amethyst could see there were steps leading into the water, but she was curious about the temperature. She tested with her hand, wiggling her fingers beneath the surface. The water was hot but not uncomfortably so. She’d never taken a hot bath before. It seemed so luxurious to her. Almost excessive. But everything else she’d experienced up to that point that had to do with Candlewood Manor had been luxurious. So she was beginning to adjust to it.

Amethyst stood by the steps and slipped out of her nightgown. She could feel Pearl’s eyes on her but she didn’t look at her. She took a dainty step into the water, and then another, slowly submerging more of her body until the steps ended and she dunked her head beneath the water. She breached the surface again and pushed back her wet hair. Pearl removed her robe and let it drop to the floor before she stepped into the bath as well. At the deepest point, the water was about to Pearl’s shoulders but around the edges, the water was shallower. Amethyst could swim just fine, but for washing purposes, she stuck to the areas where her feet could touch the bottom.

Pearl bobbed up beside her, surfacing from under the water as well with her short hair looking longer when it was slicked back with water. Again, Amethyst found herself thinking that Pearl looked almost human at that point. Her skin still held the flush she’d gotten just after feeding and it had increased from the heat of the spring, causing a faint blush on her nose, cheeks, chest and the tips of her ears. Pearl smiled at Amethyst and she reached around her, grabbing a hold of a rope floating on the surface of the water.

Before Amethyst could ask about it, Pearl tugged it and it brought over a bucket that Amethyst curiously looked inside. It was stuffed full of bottles, soap and sponges. “May I wash you?” Pearl inquired, politely. She took a sponge out of the bucket.

“Okay,” Amethyst agreed. She self consciously moved her hair over her shoulder and off her back. “What should I, uh…”

“I’ll wash your hair first. I’ll be gentle, don’t worry.”

She lathered the soap onto Amethyst’s scalp, saturating her entire mass of hair with it. Then she firmly worked her fingertips into Amethyst’s scalp, and the woman nearly slipped beneath the water, it felt so good. Not exactly gentle, but deliciously pleasurable. She couldn’t help but give a soft moan as Pearl massaged her.

Pearl was pleased that Amethyst was enjoying her technique. She pressed in against her back and kissed her shoulder. “Feels good?” she asked, her voice low.

“Uh huh…” Amethyst breathed.

“Good… I really like those noises you make,” Pearl purred. She blew a soft puff of breath into the shell of Amethyst’s ear and the woman shivered in response. Pearl filled a cup of water and gently eased Amethyst’s head back, letting the water cascade down her head. She repeated the action a few more times to fully rinse out the suds, then opened a second bottle and coated her palms in a creamy, floral smelling substance. Amethyst was curious about it as Pearl combed her coated fingers through Amethyst’s hair.

“It’s to help with the tangles,” Pearl explained when she saw Amethyst’s puzzled look.

As Pearl conditioned Amethyst’s hair, the woman was struck with the realization that this all felt very domestic. She had been expecting Pearl to mostly ignore her unless she was looking for more sex, since she assumed that was all the vampire was interested in. But the reality was a bit harder to understand the nature of. Amethyst wondered if there was some truth to Pearl calling her “Pet”. Maybe she did see her as a pet. It also seemed like Pearl was lonely; a feeling Amethyst wasn’t a stranger to by any means. It was such a big house, curiously full of many bedrooms and large areas to mingle in. Everything about it seemed to suggest that at one point in its history, the house had been lived in by many more people.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Amethyst asked as Pearl rinsed her hair off again. Pearl began to lather up a sponge and she gently moved Amethyst’s wet hair over the front of her shoulder so she could begin to wash her back.

“Of course,” Pearl answered.

“How long have you been living here alone?”

Pearl moved the sponge in small circles over Amethyst’s back. “I suppose it’s been… hm… about seventy years.”

“Did you ever live here with someone else?”

“Yes. The late master of this house used to live here, along with some of his servants.”

“A human man?”

Pearl didn’t answer immediately but Amethyst couldn’t see her expression. “Yes.”

“Who was he?”

“His gravestone is out back. Did you see it when you went out this morning?”

Amethyst couldn’t recall a gravestone but in the pouring rain with a full bladder, she hadn’t exactly been looking to dawdle outside by examining her surroundings. “I didn’t see it.”

“Oh. Hm. Perhaps it fell over, again.” Pearl washed over Amethyst’s shoulders and Amethyst watched the sudsy water stream down her skin. Pearl didn’t offer up any more information but the air didn’t feel tense, either. Amethyst thought Pearl would tell her more if she asked more questions, but she left it alone for the time being. Her focus had shifted to Pearl’s shamelessly wandering hands, which had moved around her front, abandoning the sponge in favor of groping her breasts.

Pearl pressed in against Amethyst’s back. Pearl kissed Amethyst’s cheek, then her shoulder. Then she left a trail of little kisses across Amethyst’s back. The contact made Amethyst shiver and her nipples hardened under Pearl’s hands, which encouraged the vampire woman to rub them. Amethyst felt herself leaning back into Pearl, inhaling slowly. “This isn’t washing…” she said with a faint smirk.

“I do apologize,” Pearl whispered, her voice husky. “I got distracted, admiring a work of art.”

Amethyst snorted. “I guess you haven’t seen very many.”

“I have diverse tastes,” Pearl replied. She gently bit Amethyst’s shoulder.

“Wait… you did everything last night, I owe you,” Amethyst said, to which Pearl chuckled.

“I’m not keeping score, Pet. Just give yourself over to me…” She kissed Amethyst’s neck. Amethyst shuddered.

“Okay…” she relented, her voice faint.

Once again, Pearl worked her fingertips into her inner thighs, stroking the soft flesh beneath the water before she gently parted them. Pearl glanced over her shoulder, and then began to back up in the water, pulling Amethyst with her. “Here, let’s sit…” There was a little shelf carved into the stone just for that purpose and Pearl seated herself on it, pulling Amethyst into her lap. Amethyst was still facing away from Pearl with her back against her front. And with that settled, Pearl quickly resumed with her fingertips stroking and squeezing Amethyst’s thighs.

Pearl’s fingers slid between Amethyst’s legs and she began to rub her clit in a circular motion. Amethyst’s breath hitched but then she relaxed and sighed. She’d been aroused since Pearl had grabbed her breasts, if she was being honest with herself. So Pearl’s abrupt stimulation to her clit wasn’t unwelcome.

“Do you like this, Pet?” Pearl asked.

“Y-yes!” Amethyst exclaimed, trying to sound as enthusiastic as she could, to keep Pearl motivated to touching her.

“Good… I’m so happy,” Pearl sighed, resting her cheek against Amethyst’s shoulder. “You’re very warm…”

“You are, too.”

“It’s the bath for me. But you… you’re warm all the time. It’s so… soothing…”

Amethyst let out a whimper when she felt the tip of Pearl’s finger suddenly stroking up and down over the entrance to her vagina. At the noise, Pearl’s finger ceased moving.

“Was that painful?”

“N-no, just surprised,” Amethyst assured her, embarrassed.

“Have you ever had anything inside you?”

“Fingers. My own. Like… two, max.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

Amethyst blushed. “I’d probably enjoy yours better.”

Pearl grinned. “Alright. But we should probably get out of the bath for this.”

Amethyst didn’t question why and she started to get up, only to have Pearl pick her up without any effort and lift her onto the deck of the bath. It was only a few inches from the water to the edge, but Amethyst was still impressed with Pearl’s strength. Pearl didn’t sit her back on her lap, though. Instead, the vampire knelt in front of her, between her legs, and set her hands on Amethyst’s thighs.

Pearl had already gotten up close and personal with her pussy the previous night, but Amethyst still felt a little shy over it. She didn’t try to cover herself, though. Pearl was looking between her legs like she was performing a medical examination. After a moment, the vampire wet one of her fingers in her mouth before she introduced it to Amethyst’s hole. Pearl slowly worked her finger in, although her expression wasn’t what Amethyst would’ve expected. She looked disheartened.

“Wh-what’s wrong?” Amethyst asked. “Is it bad? You don’t have to do it.”

“It’s not that, it’s just… you’re very tight.”

“Well, I did tell you I didn’t really have any experience,” Amethyst stated, confused.

Pearl looked at her, frowning. “I know that, but this isn’t the same thing as being inexperienced. You feel like you’re tensing up.”

“Uh… well maybe you need to put another finger in?” Amethyst suggested. Instead, Pearl withdrew hers, to Amethyst’s disappointment. She gave Pearl a heartbreaking expression. “Did I do something wrong?”

Pearl’s eyes widened at the sight of Amethyst’s puppy dog eyes. It sent a blush all across her face. “N-no, of course not!” she exclaimed. “I just… I don’t want to do anything you don’t enjoy. You’re wet but not fully relaxed. I don’t want to force it.”

“Oh…” Amethyst was confused by that. Not that she was tight, but that it meant she wasn’t relaxed. She assumed she was supposed to be tight, or that being tight was desirable. She’d always heard that the opposite was a bad trait; a sign of a loose woman who enjoyed sex too much and was bad for it. It wasn’t something she’d ever really agreed with, but it also wasn’t something she’d ever questioned.

“I thought it was good to be that way,” Amethyst admitted with a nervous chuckle.

“Did a man tell you that?” Pearl asked, raising an eyebrow. “I find it comical that men tell women how their bodies should behave.”

Amethyst shrugged. “I dunno if a man told me that, it’s just something I learned.”

“Well… I don’t agree with that way of thinking,” Pearl said, turning up her nose. “Sex should never be painful and it should never be uncomfortable. Even if it’s the first time. A woman who is fully aroused, willing and comfortable with her partner will always be receptive to them.”

Amethyst was quiet for a moment, just letting that marinate with her. “I guess that… makes sense,” she agreed. She laughed. “It’s so simple but yeah, I agree. I never thought of it before.”

Pearl sat back with a smile. “I’m sorry, Amethyst. I hope you’re not too uncomfortable with me… I really just like having you here for company. But you don’t have to stay, and you can tell me to leave you alone.”

Amethyst sighed. “I don’t want that…” she said, softly. She leaned in towards Pearl and pressed a shy kiss to her lips. “I like you, Pearl… can we please try again?”

Pearl leaned into the kiss with a soft sigh, her eyes slipping closed. She spoke against Amethyst’s lips. “I don’t know, Pet… I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t,” Amethyst answered. She softly and sweetly kissed Pearl again, setting a hand against her chest. Pearl melted into the kiss, a heavy blush across her cheeks. Amethyst opened her eye for a brief moment, observing Pearl’s reaction. It was interesting.

“W-well, I…” Pearl babbled as Amethyst’s soft, quick little kisses descended down her neck. Amethyst was already figuring out her weaknesses and how to exploit them, it seemed. “O-oh... you’re so… ah… sweet… I can’t resist you.”

Amethyst grinned against Pearl’s neck. Pearl sighed. “Oh no. You’re going to be a spoiled pet, aren’t you?”

“Yesss… spoil me…” Amethyst agreed, climbing into Pearl’s lap and nuzzling her neck. Pearl shivered.

“A-alright…” Pearl relented. She couldn’t stop herself from caving in to Amethyst being sweet and affectionate. Pearl put her hand between Amethyst’s legs, stroking her pussy once more and trying to get Amethyst relaxed. Amethyst continued to nuzzle and kiss Pearl’s neck, shyly.

Pearl gently pushed her finger into Amethyst again and like before, the walls gripped her digit tightly. Pearl observed that Amethyst was still plenty lubricated, at the very least. And as Pearl worked her finger in and out of Amethyst, she began to feel her gradually loosen up inside and Pearl’s finger moved more easily.

“Does that feel alright?” she asked.

“Y-yeah… it doesn’t hurt,” Amethyst answered. Pearl didn’t sense any deception in her voice so she trusted it was correct.

Pearl continued the simple motions of her single finger until Amethyst felt relaxed enough and loosened enough that Pearl could introduce a second finger. The vampire kept the number at two for the time being, but as the slick noises intensified, she began to quicken the motion of her fingers. She was no longer exploratory but instead more forceful, eager to fuck Amethyst and drink in her enjoyment.

Amethyst had been mostly silent up until that point, but when Pearl began to pump her fingers, the woman began to vocalize with little gasps and squeaks. Pearl preferred the more restrained noises over the over-the-top moaning that some of her previous lovers did. It sounded more natural, less performative. It sounded to Pearl like Amethyst was trying hard to withhold her sounds but she couldn’t help herself. And Pearl enjoyed thinking that.

“How’s the speed?” Pearl inquired as her fingers continued to move. Amethyst arched her back.

“G-good!” she exclaimed. Pearl took the opportunity to claim Amethyst’s exposed neck with her lips.

“You feel nice and relaxed, now,” Pearl whispered into the shell of her ear. She could feel Amethyst pushing back against her as she began to peak already. Pearl made a mental note to help Amethyst work on her stamina at a later time. But for the moment, she was content to get her off. She watched Amethyst’s face as she came with a whimper. She shuddered over her body, ending with a sigh and leaning heavily against Pearl. Pearl withdrew her fingers carefully from Amethyst’s twitching pussy.

“Very good,” Pearl praised, smiling faintly.

—

After they’d finished bathing, Pearl took Amethyst back upstairs and she tried to go about finding her food for breakfast. Amethyst wanted to help with breakfast but Pearl tutted at her and insisted on doing it herself. So Amethyst sat herself at the table, watching Pearl move around the kitchen. It struck her as odd that a vampire would busy herself with domestic duties. But Pearl seemed to be full of surprises.

“So uh…” Amethyst began. “You never showed me around the house.”

Pearl glanced over her shoulder. “No, I… suppose I haven’t,” she admitted. Her tone was odd to Amethyst. Guarded. Amethyst’s interest was piqued. “Is that something you’d like? A tour of the house?”

“I guess I could go around by myself if-”

“No!”

Amethyst sat back in her chair, her eyes alight with intrigue. “Is there something in the house that I shouldn’t see?” she asked.

Pearl frowned. She studied Amethyst like she was looking at her for the first time and under the look, Amethyst couldn’t help but feel like shrinking just a little. She reminded herself that Pearl was still a predator, capable of ripping her limb from limb if she felt so inclined. Amethyst knew she couldn’t allow herself to be swayed by creature comforts and the kindness Pearl had demonstrated.

Pearl’s reasons for keeping her there were selfish ones. Pearl was fond of sex and playing hostess, and Amethyst knew that any other young woman in her home would be treated exactly the same way. Amethyst knew she couldn’t lose sight of that, or let herself develop a genuine fondness for Pearl just because she treated her well.

“There are rooms in this house even I don’t go in,” Pearl explained, uneasily. “They’re dangerous. Dangerous… to me, at least.”

“To vampires?”

Pearl hesitated, then nodded. “Yes.”

Amethyst could see the way Pearl held tension in her shoulders, and the way she worried her lip between her teeth, that she was being truthful. She was afraid of something in the house, that much seemed certain.

Amethyst rose from her seat, placing her hands on the table. “You don’t have to worry about scrounging up breakfast for me. I kinda wanted to go into town today, anyway.”

Pearl looked surprised for a moment, then melancholy. She averted her eyes, looking at the floor. “You’re free to come and go as you like.”

“You go get some sleep, okay?” Amethyst suggested. She could see the weariness starting to settle over the vampire woman once more, her burst of energy apparently hitting a wall.

“I think I will…” Pearl agreed, smiling feebly. “Can you see yourself out?”

“Yeah. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Pearl walked through the kitchen, pausing in the archway and keeping her head lowered. “You don’t have to. If you don’t want…”

And then she was gone, slipping into the shadowy hallway and up the stairs. Amethyst waited, unmoving, until she faintly heard Pearl click her bedroom door shut on the second floor.

Amethyst exhaled slowly, sagging forward and leaning on the table. For a moment she held her face in her arms, staring only at the table’s surface. She took a few minutes just to recover her nerve. She was nothing to Pearl. Nothing more than something to play with. She couldn’t forget it. Pearl’s disappointment was the same disappointment a child would have when they were denied a toy. She couldn’t feel sorry for the vampire.

Amethyst exited the house after dressing herself and putting her cloak on. The day had warmed the outdoor air slightly, but the dampness brought a chill that settled in her bones and made her joints ache. She hated damp weather. It also made her scent much more pronounced. Pearl had picked up on it, but she hadn’t been able to place it.

It wasn’t detectable to humans, but vampires could usually tell right away that she was a werewolf. That Pearl couldn’t indicated that the vampire’s isolation was severe. She couldn’t see her fellow immortals for what they were. Unless Pearl was similarly being deceptive with her. It was possible, but Amethyst had doubts that any vampire would have sex with her, even if she had a good reason to. Vampires tended to look down on werewolves. Pearl’s enthusiasm had been genuine.

Amethyst didn’t bother trying to pass as a boy when she walked into town. She didn’t see the need. And few of the townsfolk gave her more than a passing glance, recognizing her as a new face, but a peasant like themselves and not worth much interest. Amethyst similarly wasn’t interested in getting to know the people in town. She went to the small market to look over what the meagre food selection was in the fall. She bought some bread, dried salted meat, a few potatoes and a bag of oats. The purchase all but obliterated the money she’d had on her. More luxurious items were also available for purchase including dried fruit, spiced nuts, cheese and honey. All were tempting, but expensive even for small amounts. She couldn’t afford to spend her money on such things.

She found herself wondering if Pearl would buy her something like that, had the vampire accompanied her into town.

With her bag slung on one arm and full of food, Amethyst stepped off the main road through the town to count what money she had left. Pearl had said she’d feed her, but Amethyst didn’t want to rely on her handouts. She also didn’t want to become accustomed to foods and drinks she could never afford on her own.

Amethyst decided to make another stop, to delay her return to Candlewood. She went to the only inn in town, the one run by the witch she’d met the night before. She suspected that Garnet knew more about Pearl and Candlewood than she was letting on, and Amethyst was hopeful that she could extract information from her that could assist her with her… particular mission.

Garnet was behind the front desk when Amethyst entered, looking not the least bit surprised to see her. She gave a nod and a smile at Amethyst as she approached. Her demeanor was calm and pleasant. Amethyst found her disarming.

“Hello, Amethyst,” Garnet greeted. Amethyst paused, recalled that she’d already uttered her name under Pearl’s glamour, and stepped up to the desk.

“Hey…”

“You’re here about Pearl,” Garnet stated.

“Yep.”

“I can’t tell you much,” Garnet said. “I don’t want to meddle in her relationships more than I already do.”

“There’s no relationship,” Amethyst answered, curtly. “I’ve known her one day.”

“Hmm. But you’ve allowed her to get closer to you than you’ve allowed anyone else for at least a few decades,” Garnet observed, tilting her head.

Amethyst blushed and averted her eyes from Garnet’s knowing smirk. “Not really…” she mumbled.

“She doesn’t know what you are,” Garnet continued.

“But you do?”

“Werewolf, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Pearl can smell it on me but she doesn’t know what it is,” Amethyst said.

“I don’t believe Pearl’s ever met a werewolf.”

“How long have you known her?”

Garnet was thoughtful for a moment. “Mm… about forty years, I’d say.”

“You don’t age, either?”

“No. I was human once, but… that was a long time ago.”

“Did Pearl ever tell you about the master of the house?” Amethyst pressed. “When he was alive?”

“You already know about that man and what he was studying,” Garnet responded. “That’s why you came to Candlewood. You’re hoping to cure your… condition.”

“You got it,” Amethyst confirmed, wearing a smirk. “You know all that but you brought me to Pearl anyways.”

“Pearl’s lonely,” Garnet said, her voice going soft. Amethyst’s smirk faltered.

“She’s lonely?”

“I think so...”

“Why doesn’t she leave and go somewhere else?”

“I expect she might, one day. But she’s a ways off from moving on. She’s still young, for a vampire. But for now, her loneliness makes her vulnerable. I think she enjoys having you around.”

Amethyst frowned. “If she tries to stop me, I’ll kill her.” Her tone wasn’t especially convincing, though.

Garnet chuckled. “You’ll try.”

“You’re not gonna tell her?”

“No.”

Amethyst decided Garnet was strange. Even for a witch. “You’re not a good friend to her,” she stated.

“There’s no reason for me to get involved in this. Your fates are sealed. No matter which path you take, you end up in the same future.”

“Which is?” Amethyst asked.

“I don’t want to spoil it for you.”


	3. Tree Shadow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been writing most of this on Word on my cellphone and there's this annoying thing I found out it does where if I go back and change a sentence, the program will ask if I want to keep the changes. I would say "yes" not realizing that what that did was actually smash the old and new sentences together in some weird looking sentence that makes no sense. I only noticed this after doing this several times, so apologies for weird sentences that might look like two thoughts awkwardly put together incompletely. I tried to catch them where I could but some may have slipped through.

Because she wasn’t on horseback, Amethyst took longer to make her way back to the house. It was later in the afternoon by the time she arrived. Her conversation with Garnet, vague as it had been, had left her feeling uneasy. She didn’t like that Garnet seemed to know all about her and her future. It made her feel paranoid. Was she walking towards her “sealed fate” by returning to Candlewood? Or if she ran away and never returned, would that be the catalyst for her to meet her fate?

Amethyst shivered against the damp cold in the air. She tried to envision the hot bath she’d taken that morning, to try and trick her mind into thinking her body was warm. But with that mental image, came the image of Pearl and the conflicting feelings that went along with her.

Amethyst hadn’t expected to find a vampire living in Candlewood. She’d heard about the house and it’s history as far away as her home country but finding Pearl living there hadn’t been part of her plan. Her plan also hadn’t involved getting intimate with Pearl. She only wanted to get into the house and be able to freely explore it. She’d only seen a few rooms out of presumably dozens.

Thinking of Pearl touching her in such an intimate way made her feel strange. She’d slept next to her, accepted food from her, bathed with her, all in the span of less than twenty four hours. Garnet was right in saying that she’d gotten closer to Pearl than she’d gotten to anyone else. She’d never met anyone in her life who seemed so interested and invested in her. But Amethyst didn’t know why she’d done it or why it had come so easily to her when she’d always struggled with intimacy. Perhaps it was just because of how Pearl was. She just seemed full of gratitude and praise. She didn’t see Amethyst as her equal by any means, but she did seem to like her. It wasn’t something Amethyst experienced often in her life. It had caught her off guard.

That, coupled with the fact that Pearl was beautiful and alluring, had caused Amethyst to stumble into a situation she’d quickly gotten swept up in.

There was something appealing about simply staying at Candlewood for a while, as Pearl’s “pet”, as she called her. But it was an impossible scenario. The approach of the full moon loomed over her; a deadline she couldn’t ignore. She had only three days to get what she needed, or confirm if it even existed. The thought that it might not wasn’t something she wanted to dwell on. Her life was otherwise directionless. Her only goal was to cure herself of being a werewolf, and live a human lifespan. She could finally find a place in the world. She’d chased down every lead, tried every spell, consumed every bitter potion sold to her by roadside swindlers. But nothing worked. Nothing removed her curse.

Amethyst took her time walking along the muddy trail through the misted woods that would eventually lead her back to Candlewood. She couldn’t ignore the cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. She considered coming clean with Pearl, while hoping that the vampire wouldn’t angrily tear her throat out at the revelation. While thinking that thought, and feeling especially tense in her body as she did, she was startled into jumping at the earsplitting, unearthly scream that suddenly tore through the silence of the woods. Amethyst stumbled, trembling and feeling her heartbeat in her ears. It was so close, almost right on top of her. Her head snapped in every direction but there was nothing around her.

It hadn’t been a human scream. It was most certainly that of an animal, perhaps a deer. But even coming to that conclusion, Amethyst didn’t feel at ease. She could pick up the smell of blood in the air. There was also an unsettling feeling. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Her breath was coming out in short gasps. Her intuition told her that she was in danger and her logical mind didn’t have time to process why. Something primal inside her had taken hold and without even coming to the conscious decision, she broke into a sprint, running as fast as she could along the path.

She kept her eyes forward as she ran, but in her peripheral vision, she was almost certain she could see something moving through the misted trees, following her. Something big. The light was so dim and the foliage so obscured by fog that it would’ve been easy for her imagination to conjure up the image of some shadowy creature coming after her. Still, she didn’t stop running. She was almost certain she could hear its lumbering footsteps and its bulk crashing through branches. But she couldn’t be entirely sure because her breathing had turned to dry, desperate gasps and her heart was pounding in her chest, up to her head.

She reached the base of the hill and the incline, coupled with the muddy ground, began to slow her down. She didn’t get far before she stumbled, landing face-first into the mud. She was convinced that the thing chasing her was right on top of her and she couldn’t do anything except sit up and cover herself with her arms, screaming as she anticipated an attack.

None came.

Amethyst waited a moment before she lowered her arms and dared to look behind her. The path she’d run was deserted. Only her own footprints led up to her. There was nothing to indicate that anything had been chasing her. No physical evidence. Still, her body remained in a state of high arousal. The urge to run remained strong, but she knew it was impossible to run up the hill in the mud.

Amethyst slowly got to her feet. The entire front half of her body, starting at her nose and ending at her knees, was caked in mud. She shakily began walking again, only able to keep her pace brisk. The ground was worse than the night before or even that morning when she’d descended. Her boots continued to slide as she walked. She resorted to crawling on all fours, digging her fingers into the earth for a grip. It wasn’t dignified, but she was able to ascend the rest of the hill that way.

When she reached the top of the hill, Amethyst collapsed onto her stomach and lay with her cheek pressed against the cold ground. She wheezed, trying to catch the breath that had eluded her since the instant she’d heard the deer scream. Her body felt unbearably heavy. She could’ve fallen into a dead sleep right there on the hill. But after a few minutes of rest, she managed to get up again, with a great deal of effort. She turned to look down the hill, at the forest below. And for just an instant, she thought she saw the branches of some of the trees next to the road shake as they were disturbed.

She recalled the horses the night before, too frightened to ascend the hill. Perhaps all beasts shared that fear of Candlewood. But in her state, she didn’t know if she could trust her own perceptions. Perhaps it hadn’t been anything more than her own imagination.

—

Pearl woke up at her usual time at dusk, feeling more alert and invigorated after a proper sleep. She sat up in her coffin and stretched her arms out over her head.

Compared to the other bedrooms in the house, Pearl’s bedroom was small. It had windows like the others, but the curtains were drawn tightly, keeping the room as dark as possible. Only a few ever-burning candles provided any light. She exited the coffin and slipped out of her nightgown.

Against the wall was a large, oval-shaped, ornate mirror. Pearl paused in front of it, looking at her thin, nude body. The mirror had been gifted to her from Garnet. It didn’t contain silver as many mirrors did, so she was able to see her reflection within it, the same way any other creature would. Garnet had apparently made it herself, possibly infusing it with magic, and it was one of Pearl’s most treasured possessions.

The vampire went to her wardrobe and picked out some clothes to wear. She wondered if Amethyst had a preference for masculine or feminine clothes. Pearl had a mix of both and would wear either, depending on her mood. Amethyst’s figure didn’t seem as suited to overtly masculine clothes. She had such lovely curves.

“Assuming she’s even here,” Pearl said to herself, bitterly. She’d gotten the sense that she’d scared Amethyst or had said something wrong to her. When she left that morning, Pearl didn’t know if she’d be back. But having the woman there, even briefly, had reawakened Pearl’s desire for company. She considered paying Garnet a visit. Perhaps she’d feel up to going out that night to a tavern.

If not, Pearl could still cover a lot of ground before sunrise. There were larger towns with a more lively nightlife. Towns with cobblestone roads instead of mud. It brightened her mood somewhat, thinking of doing something that night besides moping around the house. Feeling more confident, Pearl left her room after she’d fussed in the mirror a bit more, and she strode down the hallway with the intent to go down to the kitchen and get her fill of blood. As she approached the door that was Amethyst’s temporary bedroom, Pearl took notice of some mud on the floor leading to the door. It looked like it had been hastily wiped up, but some had been missed. The door to the bedroom was open a crack, but was dark inside. Pearl crept over to the door and she began to hear, or rather feel, a heartbeat in the room. She gently pushed the door open and there was Amethyst, asleep in the bed.

She’d clearly gotten muddy and had tried to use the sheets to clean it. They’d been stripped off the bed and were lying on the floor in the corner. The woman had apparently collapsed onto the bed, if her sleeping position was any indication. She’d taken her boots off and had stripped to her undergarments. She was lying on top of the mattress, uncovered. Pearl was stunned.

“You came back,” she whispered. She’d been so certain Amethyst wouldn’t return. After the women had gotten their fill, they rarely returned to Pearl because they had human lives waiting for them that they needed to get back to. Or they’d visit infrequently, those nights like islands of warmth and companionship in a vast sea of cold loneliness.

At being reminded of her past lovers, Pearl felt a pang of unexpected sorrow. Many of them were either elderly now, or gone. Humans withered away so quickly, and it felt like it was quicker with every additional year Pearl was alive. She returned to the town sometimes and was baffled to realize how much time had passed. Children that had cowered from her had grown into sour-face adults that whispered about her. Her sense of time had gotten away from her once the passage of it no longer mattered to her.

Pearl sagged in the doorway, feeling overcome. Knowing that Amethyst had returned was bittersweet. She was both elated to see her again, while also knowing that the longer someone stayed, the harder it was to let them go.

In the past, Pearl had entertained the thought of siring her favorites. Turning them into demons like herself, creating other vampires to spend eternity with. But it never went beyond a passing fancy. She envied the simplicity of humans. Like all vampires, she’d once been human herself. She could remember it clearly, but she remembered it in the way that an adult remembered their childhood. She was looking through a different lens. But it came with a great burden. A loss of innocence. And Pearl couldn’t bring herself to take it away from any human, even if they were willing.

Pearl quietly approached the bed and took a seat next to Amethyst. She gently began to stroke her hair, which the woman seemed to appreciate if the pleased murmur she made in her sleep was anything to go by. A smile quirked Pearl’s lips. She leaned down to kiss the top of Amethyst’s head. But she stopped abruptly before she made contact. That smell again.

Oddly enough, it didn’t bother her the way it had that morning. But it still puzzled her only because she’d never encountered the scent on a human before. Animals, yes. The blood Garnet provided her with was mostly animal blood and sometimes Pearl could pick up faint traces of a similar musk right before she drank it. Amethyst clearly wasn’t an animal, though. Was it just that she had a unique scent, and nothing more?

Feeling silly, Pearl kissed Amethyst’s head and got off the bed, intending to leave her to sleep. But the mattress was disturbed by her getting off of it and Amethyst awoke. She stirred, making Pearl pause. When the vampire turned, Amethyst was sitting up on the bed, blinking slowly, still half-asleep. The sight was one that Pearl found unbearably cute, although she kept it to herself.

She returned to the bed, sitting back next to Amethyst, observing that she had dried mud caked in her hair and smeared across her cheek. Pearl licked her thumb and tried to rub out the mud on Amethyst’s face. “Didn’t we just take a bath?” Pearl asked.

“I tried to clean up, but…” Amethyst looked guiltily at the sheets on the floor. Pearl looked where she was looking and dismissively waved her hand.

“It’s alright, Pet.”

“Did you sleep okay?” Amethyst asked.

“Yes, I slept just fine,” Pearl answered with a smile. “What did you do in town?”

“Eh, just bought some food,” Amethyst answered with a shrug. “Hey, um… are there a lot of animals in the woods around here?”

“Animals?” Pearl echoed, confused. “Of course. Why do you ask?”

Amethyst frowned. “I think there was… maybe a bear or something. I think it chased me until I started going up the hill.”

Pearl’s eyes widened in alarm. “A bear chased you?!” she cried. She threw her arms around Amethyst, to the other woman’s surprise. “You must’ve been so frightened! Are you alright?! Are you hurt?” She pulled back from her, looking her over for injuries. Amethyst was touched by her concern.

“I-I’m fine, just got kinda spooked,” Amethyst admitted.

“I’m so sorry, Amethyst!” Pearl cried, pulling her head in against her chest. “I thought for certain that any bear in the area would’ve started hibernating by this point in the fall. Not that there are many around! But I’ve never heard of one being seen around here, not so close to the town! If I’d thought there was any risk, I would’ve escorted you! Oh goodness, to think you could’ve been mauled by a bear today while I slept!”

Amethyst’s first instinct was to downplay the encounter in order to ease Pearl’s worries. But as she began to think about it again, the terror she’d felt gripped her anew and she began to tremble, to her own embarrassment. She didn’t know why a bear would’ve scared her so much. She’d seen bears before. Her reaction to them had always been unease and caution, but never white-hot terror. It was so strange that she’d react in such a way. But then the answer came to her. It was because hadn’t been a bear. It had been something else. Something worse than a bear. Something she didn’t know but that sent her beast side into a complete panic. Something that had been hunting her and had only retreated because she’d managed to make it onto the grounds of Candlewood in time.

“Oh, Amethyst…” Pearl whispered, holding her close and rocking her in her arms. “It’s alright, you’re safe… you’re safe.”

Amethyst continued to shake, clinging to Pearl. She didn’t cry, only because she was too frightened to cry. She could only grip Pearl like her life depended on it. And it was many long minutes before she could find her voice.

“I… I don’t know why I’m so scared…” Amethyst said. “Just thinking about it again… I don’t know… I’m so…”

“I’ll go out and find this bear and kill it,” Pearl said. Amethyst gripped her tighter.

“No!”

“Then… how about we get you cleaned up and dressed… I’ll make you some dinner. And then… I could take you around the house. Like you wanted.”

Amethyst nodded. Pearl rubbed her back in slow, soothing circles. The contact had a grounding effect on Amethyst. After a few more minutes, she felt herself slowly edging back from her terror and distress. She was left feeling exhausted once again, as though she’d burned through all her energy reserves in one burst. Sensing this, Pearl scooped her up and carried her out of the bedroom.

After Amethyst had gotten washed and cleaned up, with Pearl not once attempting to seduce her, the vampire took Amethyst to her own room to find her some clean clothes to wear.

Amethyst took notice of the fact that Pearl slept in a coffin. While the vampire rummaged through the wardrobe, Amethyst approached the coffin to look inside. It was elegant, as far as coffins went. The outside was smooth and jet black while the inside was lined with red velvet cushioning. It looked as comfortable as any bed, but the narrow space made Amethyst feel somewhat claustrophobic. She doubted she could sleep in such a place, particularly if the lid was over it.

She joined Pearl by the wardrobe, where the vampire perused through the endless hangers of clothes. Amethyst noticed again that Pearl was wearing a more masculine outfit, with black trousers, a white, high-collared blouse, and a black vest overtop. She was also barefoot.

“Do you prefer dresses or pants?” Pearl inquired.

“I dunno, either is good with me…” Amethyst answered with a shrug. She noticed a gown near the back and stepped over to touch the fabric, which was smooth under her fingertips. Pearl noticed her looking and she pulled it out to show Amethyst.

“You like this one?”

“I’ve never seen a dress like this before,” Amethyst murmured. “It looks… expensive.”

Pearl chuckled. “It is that, or was when I got it. Would you like to try it on?”

“O-okay…” Amethyst stammered. The thought of her wearing a dress that was obviously made for a baroness or some other elegant woman of high status felt so taboo. But she was also curious. And her curiosity won out as she let Pearl dress her.

When she turned to the mirror to look at herself, Amethyst was somewhat disappointed to find that she just looked like herself in a cream-colored dress. Somehow she’d thought she would look different, like another person. Or at least feel different. But she didn’t. She didn’t feel like she was fit to wear such a garment.

Pearl’s reaction was much different, though. She stood off to the side, covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide as she stared at Amethyst. When the woman turned to Pearl, she mistook her reaction for something negative. “It’s so bad, isn’t it?”

“No, you look lovely,” Pearl said, softly. “You don’t like it?”

“The dress is fine…” Amethyst answered, fingering the material. “But I don’t know if it suits me. It’s kinda like putting a dress on a pig, don’t you think?”

Pearl gasped in outrage. “Did you just compare yourself to a filthy pig?” she cried. “Why would you say such a thing?”

Amethyst could only shrug. “I don’t know…”

Pearl put her hands on her hips. “I think you should wear the dress. Because it’s clearly meant for you.”

Amethyst blushed. She looked back at her reflection. She wasn’t convinced, but it seemed to please Pearl and she didn’t know what else she could offer her. “If you say so,” she sighed, smiling faintly. “You just like it because this bodice pushes my breasts up.”

Pearl giggled. “That is a nice detail,” she admitted.

After the pair had eaten dinner, Pearl made good on her promise and began to take Amethyst through the house. They walked hand in hand, with Pearl leading Amethyst through each room. It was fairly standard at the beginning. Pearl took Amethyst through the first level of the house with a cheerful demeanor. They covered the kitchen, dining room, parlor and study. Amethyst, once she was able to actually take in her surroundings, actually found the rooms to be quite nice. In the study, though, she was drawn to a book case and she let go of Pearl’s hand to take a closer look. Pearl looked anxious as Amethyst went to the books, but she didn’t stop her.

“Do you like to read, Amethyst?” Pearl inquired as Amethyst picked a book off the shelf and leafed through it.

“I’ve never really done a lot of reading,” Amethyst answered. Amethyst had chosen some sort of medical textbook, complete with drawings of human anatomy and organ systems that could only be known through dissection. She turned the page and stopped on another illustration. It was the image of a woman lying on a table, nude. Her ribcage and abdomen had been opened up, revealing the organs within. When Amethyst saw her face, she focused on it, feeling uneasy. The woman in the drawing appeared to be alive and her face was contorted in distress and pain.

Pearl went to Amethyst’s side, took notice of what she was looking at, and hurriedly tried to take the book from her. “A-ah, you don’t want to look at that,” Pearl said. Amethyst held the book away from her and turned the page. There was another dissected woman, wearing a similar expression of agony.

“Amethyst, please give me the book,” Pearl said, making another grab at it. Amethyst jerked away from her, holding it up to show her the illustration. Pearl turned away from it in a hurry.

“What is this? Is it real?” Amethyst asked.

“O-of course it’s not real,” Pearl stammered. She made a final attempt at grabbing the book and finally succeeded because Amethyst didn’t hold it away. The vampire closed the book with some force. “It would be medically impossible.”

“Well… yeah!” Amethyst agreed. Feeling uneasy, she forced a nervous laugh. “Heh...”

“It’s just fiction, none of these texts are real,” Pearl said, pushing the book back into place on the shelf. “We should keep going. There are so many other rooms in the house.”

“Right…” Amethyst agreed. Both of them continued on, a tense feeling settling over them.

The west wing of the house was one Amethyst was mostly familiar with. The rooms were mostly bedrooms or storage, with a single room tiled from floor to ceiling and apparently used for bathing. When the two of them ascended the staircase to the east wing of the house, Amethyst noticed Pearl’s steps beginning to slow. She gripped the banister with more force, her expression becoming pained, as though something was hurting her.

Amethyst was about to ask, but then she felt a change in her own body. A sudden feeling of aching and fatigue, not unlike the symptoms of an illness. As she climbed the stairs, the feeling worsened. Like Pearl, she found herself grabbing for the banister to keep from losing her footing. They arrived at the top of the stairs, standing at the beginning of a hallway that was identical in layout to the one in the west wing, but looking much less maintained and more worn.

Pearl took a breath and she began to walk forward. Amethyst followed her, both of them moving slowly and painfully. Unlike in the previous wing, all the doors in the east wing were closed. “All these doors are locked…” Pearl explained, limply gesturing to one. She’d ceased holding Amethyst’s hand. “But they are also bedrooms.”

She kept walking but Amethyst lingered before one of the doors. She didn’t see a lock on it. She curiously touched the doorknob to open the door and although it turned fully, she jerked her hand back before she could push the door open. A searing pain went through her hand and she hissed, gripping her wrist with her other hand and staring at her palm, the flesh of which had seared on the doorknob and had begun to blister. The doorknob was pure silver.

She realized, dizzily, that all the doorknobs were silver. Pearl had continued to walk forward, not realizing Amethyst had gotten burned. Amethyst tried to catch up to her by jogging but she almost collapsed from the exertion.

Vampires and werewolves were both weakened by silver, which explained why both of them were progressively deteriorating in the wing. Pearl surely knew that she was surrounded by silver, but for some reason she wanted to lead Amethyst through the hallway. Amethyst could see that the hallway ended with a solid wall. There was nothing to see there. So she touched Pearl’s back with her good hand, keeping her other hand concealed from her.

“Pearl, let’s get out of here…” Amethyst said, worriedly. “I don’t like it here. Please?”

Pearl turned, giving her a tired smile. “As you wish, Pet.”

When they left the east wing, Amethyst felt her energy slowly returning to her. Likewise, Pearl also seemed to improve. Still, living in such close proximity to pure silver was surely having an effect on Pearl in the long term. Silver burned vampires and werewolves on contact but even being close to it was toxic to both their species. Pearl was slowly poisoning herself by living in the house with it. Amethyst had no idea why she’d choose to do such a thing. There was no way that Pearl was unaware of what effect it was having on her body.

Once they were a distance away, Pearl let out a heavy sigh. “And you’ve seen the lower level, of course. Only the baths down there.”

“Y-yeah, sure,” Amethyst answered. She was eager to end the tour at that point because her hand was throbbing with pain and she didn’t know how much longer she could conceal it from Pearl.

“Well, the night is still young,” Pearl observed. “Did you feel up to going into town for a drink?”

“I-I… I think I’ll pass…” Amethyst answered. The pain in her voice was clear. Pearl became concerned.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing, I j-just…”

“Amethyst?” Pearl asked, her voice rising in alarm. Black spots began to cloud Amethyst’s vision and she felt like she was tilting. It was the last thing she was able to observe before she abruptly lost consciousness, with Pearl diving to catch her before she hit the floor.

—

Amethyst was running through the woods, which had become dark during the night. She was dressed in only a nightgown and the biting cold slowed her pace. In the distance, the shadow of Candlewood Manor loomed. She ran, knowing if she could just reach it, she’d be safe. But she was being chased by something. She was too terrified to look over her shoulder and see what it was.

The lumbering footsteps were drawing closer. She could hear the labored breath of some creature as it closed in on her. From the wall of trees all around her, she could hear a series of cries, identical to the cry of the animal she’d heard before. Hundreds of animals, all crying out in their last seconds of life. Amethyst stumbled but recovered before she could fall.

“Pearl! PEARL!” she screamed. The path up ahead of her was littered with bodies. The bodies of women, still alive, all of them cut open from neck to groin. Their eyes were impossibly wide. They couldn’t move anything but their heads and they were screaming those animalistic screams.

At the sight of them, Amethyst stopped running and could only stare in shock. A second later, something snarled behind her and she was attacked and knocked violently forward.

Her body jerked in her sleep, and it woke her up. She stared, wild-eyed, at the ceiling above her. She was soaked in sweat, but freezing cold. She was under thick blankets in a bed and she tried to kick them off herself. She was also in immense pain.

Pearl was next to the bed and she rushed up to try and calm her. “A-Amethyst, please! It’s alright! Please, relax! You’re going to hurt yourself!”

Amethyst, once again in the grip of that unseen, primal terror, only howled in response. She thrashed violently, trying to shake Pearl off. Trying to rid herself of the covers. Seeing no other option, Pearl made eye contact with Amethyst and after a second, the panicked woman’s expression relaxed and her body stopped thrashing.

Pearl exhaled and sat back from her. Amethyst breathed slowly, staring at Pearl through half-lidded eyes.

“Amethyst…” Pearl spoke, worriedly. “How did you burn your hand?” She’d noticed it while Amethyst was unconscious and had bandaged it up.

“On the doorknob… in the east wing,” Amethyst answered, dazed.

“That should burn _me_!” Pearl answered. “Why would it burn you? You’re not a vampire. There’s no way I’d mistake another vampire for a human woman.”

“I’m a werewolf,” came the reply.

Pearl was shocked. “A werewolf?” she squeaked.

At that moment, there was a commotion behind her that caused her to jump. Pearl whirled around to see Garnet entering the bedroom. “Garnet?” Pearl gasped. “What on earth?”

“I saw I was needed!” Garnet answered as she hurried into the room. She carried a large bag with her and she removed it from where she’d kept it slung over her shoulder and set it on the bed. “Amethyst has been poisoned and we have to act fast before the damage is permanent.” She opened the bag and began taking bottles out and lining them up on the bedsheets. 

“What do you need me to do?” Pearl asked.

“Keep her under your glamour,” Garnet instructed. She began mixing potions in a hurry, introducing several into a larger bottle and corking it when she’d filled it. She shook it rapidly for a few moments before removing the cork. A bit of white foam bubbled over the lip of the bottle. “Show me where the point of infection is.”

“It’s on her right hand. On the palm,” Pearl answered. She wrung her hands and hovered behind Garnet. “She could really die?”

“Werewolves are much weaker to silver than vampires,” Garnet answered. “Silver that gets inside a werewolf is often deadly.”

“I… I didn’t know!” Pearl cried. “I thought she was human… ugh, I could smell it on her and I didn’t put the pieces together.”

“I need you to stay focused and keep her under,” Garnet said. She carefully unwrapped Amethyst’s hand and examined the burn. After a brief inspection, Garnet slowly poured the potion over Amethyst’s palm. It foamed up on contact. Pearl fretted in the background.

“Is she alright? Is she going to be alright?” Pearl asked.

Garnet didn’t answer. The foam slowly dissipated, leaving the palm of Amethyst’s hand fully healed. Garnet sighed in relief. “She’s going to be fine.”

—

At the front door, Garnet said her goodbyes to Pearl just as the sky was beginning to lighten. “She’ll sleep through the day to regain her strength,” Garnet explained as she shrugged into her coat. “But she’ll be fine, afterwards.”

Pearl whimpered before she launched herself at Garnet, grabbing her close in a tight hug. “Thank you! Oh, thank you, Garnet…” she sobbed. “I wouldn’t have known what to do!”

Garnet chuckled and she awkwardly pat Pearl on the back. “There, there… you should get to sleep, yourself. The sun will be up, soon.”

Pearl sniffled and nodded. She released Garnet from her grip and took a step back, wiping her nose with her wrist. “You’re wonderful, Garnet. Truly…”

Garnet smiled. “I know I’ve offered this before, but I’ll offer again,” she said, patting Pearl’s shoulder. “I can extract the silver from this house. You don’t have to live with this. It won’t be good for Amethyst if you intend to keep her.”

Pearl took a deep breath as she thought about it. “Maybe…” she agreed. Her own health wasn’t much of a concern to her. She had decades before the silver would truly affect her. But Amethyst likely didn’t have as much time. Perhaps it was a good excuse to leave Candlewood behind.

“You need to unshackle yourself from this place, Pearl,” Garnet said, seriously. “You can’t punish yourself forever.”

“Yes… I know. You’re right. Like always.”

“Well then… I’ve said my piece. I’ll leave things to you, now.” Garnet turned to leave but Pearl stepped out of the doorway to stop her by gripping her jacket.

“Garnet, I just remembered…” Pearl began. “Yesterday, Amethyst said she was chased through the woods by a bear.”

Garnet turned to Pearl, looking puzzled. “That doesn’t sound right…”

“In any case, just take care when you ride back, alright? Amethyst was terrified from the experience.”

Garnet nodded. “I’ll be careful, Pearl. You have my word.” She turned and left, Pearl waving goodbye to her until she was out of her sight. Then she slowly closed the door and retreated back into the shadows. She climbed the stairs and returned to the bedroom Amethyst was in. Pearl slid into the bed next to her, hoping she might provide some comfort to her while she slept.

“Only have good dreams,” Pearl whispered to her. She held Amethyst in her arms, gently. And then she fell asleep as well.

Garnet reached the base of the hill with some maneuvering. “She really ought to put gravel down,” the woman muttered to herself as she examined the hem of her dress, soiled by the mud. As she raised her head, Garnet felt her blood run cold and she held back a gasp.

Her horse, which had always waited for her at the base of the hill, was lying on its side just off the road. Its head had been violently torn from its neck. The edges of the stump were completely frayed, indicating a forceful tear, rather than a cut. Its belly too had been torn open and the entrails had been dragged out across the road. The trunks of the nearby trees were smattered in the animal’s blood.

For a moment, Garnet was paralyzed by her grief. She clasped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide. She took a few shaking steps forward, crouching down next to the animal’s body. She pulled off one of her gloves, touching her fingertips into the pool of blood around the beast’s neck. It was warm. The kill was fresh.

Garnet stood up fully, her breath catching in her throat. Her eyes darted around, searching for the culprit. The woods were still and silent. Typically they were filled with sounds. But even the birds didn’t sing. Worse still, Garnet had the feeling of being watched. Whoever or whatever had killed her horse was nearby, concealed in the shadowy forest, watching her intently. She couldn’t see it, but she could feel it watching her, perhaps trying to decide on whether or not to attack.

Swallowing a lump that had begun to form in her throat, Garnet dredged up every ounce of courage she could muster.

“Beast, demon, whatever you may be,” Garnet called out, trying to keep her voice steady. “Do not cross me and I will do you no harm. I’m not a human and I will not go down as easily as my horse, let me assure you of that.”

Garnet knew that she was dealing with some kind of predator. And most predators had instincts to chase down any prey that would run. So Garnet began to walk instead. Her own instincts were telling her to run, but she believed herself safer if she walked. She wanted to appear unafraid, even if her heart was beating wildly inside her ribs. She had to focus intensely on every step to keep from walking too fast or stumbling.

“Allow me to pass through the way I came!” Garnet called out as she walked. She kept her eyes forward, putting distance between herself and the dead horse. But Garnet realized quickly that she was being followed. She could hear the snapping of twigs as the thing walked alongside her, concealed by the trees and shadows, but very much keeping pace with her.

Garnet didn’t know what she was dealing with. She had serious doubts that it was a bear, though. Pearl had mentioned Amethyst was terrified of it, which made sense. As a werewolf, Amethyst had some base animal instincts, even when she was in human form. The question to ask was what would a werewolf have an instinctive fear of? Garnet didn’t have an answer. But perhaps Amethyst’s fear of it was a clue to its identity.

After several agonizing minutes, the stillness finally ended. The birdsong began to return to the woods. The tense feeling had vanished. Whatever it was, it had left her alone. Garnet allowed herself to walk a little quicker, eager to reach the edge of the woods and the safety that awaited.

She returned to town, shaken by her experience. The townspeople typically gave her a wide berth when she walked through the streets. She was known for being a witch, but she only ever used her powers to help the people of the town. They knew she was powerful, but she was also respected by them.

A group of children ran past her in the street and Garnet’s worried gaze followed them to the forest’s edge. The woods nearly touched the outer boundaries of the town. The children often played in the surrounding forest, although they were warned to stay away from Candlewood. But the wooded area immediately surrounding the town was considered to be safe.

Garnet suddenly wasn’t sure how safe the woods truly were. She turned back and sprinted, catching up to the children just as they entered the forest. She blocked their path and they backed up from her, confused and wary.

“Don’t go into the woods!” Garnet cried. “There’s an animal in there!”

The children dispersed back into the town, fleeing from her as the children often did. Garnet dropped her arms, sighing.

It didn’t take long for word to spread. Before the morning had ended, the entire town was talking about the animal in the woods. It wasn’t a surprise to Garnet when a few men from the town walked into her inn, armed with muskets.

“Alright, witch,” one of the men spoke. “What’s this we’re hearing about an animal in the woods?”

“You’re scaring our little ones!” one of the other men chimed in.

Garnet came out from behind the front counter and the men gripped their guns a little bit tighter, but subtly leaned away from the approaching woman.

“You can’t send out a hunting party,” Garnet said. “This isn’t a natural predator. It is possible that a gun won’t kill it.”

“It’s probably that vampire living in Candlewood Manor!” one of the men said. A few murmured in agreement.

“That woman isn’t a vampire,” another one scoffed. “She’s an albino.”

“The animal attacked and killed my horse,” Garnet continued. “It wasn’t a vampire kill. I need to do some research. I don’t know what sort of creature it is, but it’s dangerous and I think it’s intelligent.”

“You could protect us with magic!” one of the men shouted. Several of them agreed with enthusiasm.

“I can’t protect you from something when I don’t know what it is!” Garnet cried, frustrated. “You have to stay in town where it’s safe. I’m begging you not to go out into the woods at this time. Don’t provoke it. Until I know what it is, I can’t advise on how to kill it.”

There were disappointed grumbles and murmurs through the group. But finally the leader turned to the other men. “We need to call a town meeting,” he decided. “Tell everyone exactly what we know.” He looked back at Garnet and stepped up to her. Garnet tended to tower over most men in height, and the leader of the hunting party had to crane his neck slightly to look at her.

“Witch… you’ve always helped keep our town safe. Please figure out just what this thing is.” He lifted up a small sack of coins and tried to hand them to Garnet.

“Oh, no… I can’t accept…”

“Please,” the man insisted.

With a sigh, Garnet took the money. “I’ll do my best,” she promised. “In the meantime, keep everyone out of the woods.”


	4. Parallel lines

Amethyst slept like the dead for the entire day, as Garnet said she would. Pearl forced herself to awaken earlier so that she could prepare some food for her, since she imagined Amethyst would be ravenous when she got up. She also wanted to take the opportunity to consume blood without anyone else seeing. She didn’t want a repeat of the last time. Although when she thought about it, she wondered if it even mattered anymore, seeing as Amethyst was a fellow “monster”, like herself.  
  
Pearl didn’t know if it was a fair comparison. Amethyst didn’t seem monstrous at all. Even if it wasn’t yet the full moon, Pearl still felt like she would’ve known or sensed it within her guest, if there was something truly dangerous about her. She liked to think she was good at that sort of thing.

Despite her vague knowledge that werewolves and vampires didn’t tend to get along, Pearl was actually excited by the prospect of having a new friend who was like her. She had few friends in general, fewer who were like her in any way. Pearl had never gone out of her way to network with other supernatural creatures. She’d never had an interest in such things. She only hoped Amethyst would also be willing to continue with whatever their relationship could be defined as. Although Pearl would’ve also settled for a traditional friendship as well, even if she’d have to fight against her strong urges for more.

As Pearl worked in the kitchen, she heard a faint tapping at the window, like the sound of pebbles or hail against the glass. She curiously pulled the curtains back. The sun hadn’t quite set, but the first-floor windows were protected from the sunlight by the trees and shrubs that surrounded the property, since the sun was quite low in the sky by that point in the day.

Pearl opened the window and jumped back when she was startled by a large raven which aggressively fluttered into the kitchen and landed on the tiled floor. It hopped once and preened its feathers. There was a faint, purple vapour that was coming off the bird’s tail feathers, indicating it had some magical properties. Pearl sagged against the counter, her hand over her heart. More of a reflexive reaction, since her pulse was near non-existent. “You startled me!” she exclaimed, her tone faintly scolding.

She received a curt caw in response. The bird hopped around to face her.

Garnet had two familiars: a calico cat and a raven. For urgent messages, Garnet relied on the raven, Onyx, to deliver them. Sure enough, the corvid had a scroll loosely tied around its neck.

“What do you have there?” Pearl inquired. She crouched down and held out an arm, inviting the bird to perch. The raven flapped its wings and lifted off the floor, landing on Pearl’s arm. Pearl stood up and she stroked his neck. In response, Onyx tilted his head and closed his eyes. “Good bird,” Pearl said, gently removing the scroll and palming it. Pearl didn’t care for most animals, but she was fond of Garnet’s raven.

Pearl unrolled the scroll, her eyes scanning over the hastily-written message on the paper. It was about the animal in the woods, with Garnet advising Pearl to take extreme caution and to keep an eye on Amethyst. Pearl mused over the words, glancing back out the open window at the shadowy trees. Garnet’s specialty wasn’t offensive spells, but she was still a witch to be reckoned with, as Pearl well knew. If Garnet was worried, it was a serious matter.

Garnet finished the note by mentioning that the townspeople were staying out of the woods at her suggestion, and that Garnet was going to conduct some research on what the mystery creature might be.

_If possible, don’t go into the woods tonight.  
  
_ “Not a problem for me,” Pearl said to herself. When she did go into town, she preferred to fly there than walk through the woods. Candlewood Manor itself tended to be safe from most creatures, both natural and supernatural. In all her years living there, Pearl had never had a problem with vermin of any sort. She’d never found so much as a deer or rabbit wandering the grounds. The hill atop which the looming chateau sat was cursed land, and all creatures knew it and kept away. It went beyond the simple knowledge that a vampire resided there. It ran deeper than Pearl’s time as an immortal creature.

Despite Amethyst’s fear of the thing in the woods, and Garnet’s advice to take caution, Pearl didn’t find the situation too troubling. Her only concern was Amethyst and keeping her safe and comforted. Pearl didn’t have any fear of the creature, who’s identity was of yet unknown to them.

Pearl wrote a note back, on the other side of the scroll, while Onyx perched on the kitchen table and waited. As Pearl wrote, something caught the bird’s attention and he began to flap his wings and caw in an apparent panic. Pearl reacted by glancing up and then shrinking back as the frightened bird’s wing grazed her cheek and sent a few small black feathers into the air. Through the commotion, she noticed Amethyst peeking her head around the corner, and she was apparently the cause of the raven’s distress.

“O-oh! Amethyst!” Pearl exclaimed. She started to walk around the table towards her but Onyx abruptly lifted off the table, still cawing in agitation. He dived for Pearl’s head and the vampire woman shrieked in surprise, stumbling backwards. The bird flew towards Amethyst and the woman reacted with a snarl, trying to unsuccessfully knock the bird out of the air. Onyx swooped around her head, trying to attack her and Amethyst took a few unsteady steps back before she fell and landed on her backside. She raised her arms to try and protect herself from the angry bird’s talons.

From across the kitchen, Pearl hurried towards Amethyst. She managed to grab the bird out of the air, clamping both hands around his body to hold his wings down.

“Onyx! What’s gotten into you?!” she cried, turning from Amethyst to carry the bird back to the table. “He’s usually very gentle,” she hastily explained as she replaced the scroll around his collar and brought him to the window.

“Go on, crazy bird. Fly back to mama!” Pearl threw her arms open and the bird took flight, cawing once to express his displeasure at being handled. He took to the twilit sky, vanishing in a purple wisp of smoke. Pearl closed the window and turned back to Amethyst.

“Are you alright? Did he scratch you?” Pearl asked, worriedly. She went over to Amethyst once more and the shorter woman leaned away from her, squinting in distrust.

“Come on, let me see…”

“No!” Amethyst scrambled to her feet, swiping at Pearl as she hurriedly put some distance between them. For the first time, Pearl thought Amethyst possessed a wildness to her that she hadn’t observed before. Perhaps the knowledge of Amethyst being a werewolf was the only reason Pearl felt like she was seeing something inhuman in her.

Pearl didn’t advance. Amethyst glared and then reached into the neckline of her nightgown, pulling out a cross on a chain and holding it out in front of her. Pearl frowned.

“Just stay back,” Amethyst warned.

“You’d really use that on me?” Pearl asked.

“You’re damn right I would! You just stay away from me, Pearl… I mean it. I’m going to get what I came for and you’re not gonna stop me!”

Amethyst backed into the study. Pearl lingered in the archway to the kitchen. She could tell Amethyst was afraid and not really looking for a fight.

“Amethyst, come on…” Pearl said, softly. She took a step forward as Amethyst sidestepped towards the bookshelf. “Do you think I care that you’re a werewolf? I’m… I’m actually happy to know that.”

Amethyst faltered a little before she remembered herself and thrust the cross out in Pearl’s direction. “Why would you be happy about that?” Amethyst asked. “You’re a vampire. Vampires hate werewolves.”

“If I truly hated you, I would have left you to die from being poisoned by silver,” Pearl said. “Not that I can take all the credit. Garnet was the one who healed you.”

Amethyst said nothing. Pearl took another step towards her. “I know you’re scared but we can talk about this, okay? Just put down the cross.”

Amethyst started to sag. Her eyes darted to the cross in her hand. She was clutching it so tightly that the edges had begun to push into her palm, almost to the point of breaking the skin. She wanted to trust Pearl. She didn’t think she’d be able to fend her off with a small wooden cross.

“I’m not going to hurt you, I swear,” Pearl said.

Amethyst hesitated, but she began to relax. Slowly, she took the chain off and held the necklace in her hand, letting the cross dangle so Pearl could see it. “Okay…” she said, uneasily. She took a few steps to the right, where the fireplace was located. Holding up the necklace, she showed it to Pearl again, took an unsteady breath, and then tossed it into the ashes.

Pearl couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. She stepped further into the study. Amethyst still watched her but with waning suspicion. Pearl stopped close to her. “Are you alright?” she asked.

Amethyst launched herself at Pearl, locking her arms around the taller woman’s waist and pressing her face in against her chest. Pearl was surprised but immediately put her arms around Amethyst to comfort her.

“I’m sorry,” Amethyst whimpered. “I’m such an idiot. I didn’t wanna tell you. I thought you’d hate me.”

Pearl sighed. “You scared me with that cross,” she said, scoldingly. “That would’ve given me a nasty burn!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Amethyst said, nuzzling Pearl’s breasts through her top. She rested her chin on Pearl’s chest and looked up at her. “You’ve been so nice to me and I really thought if you knew I wasn’t human, you wouldn’t like me anymore.”

Pearl smoothed back Amethyst’s hair. “Silly,” Pearl murmured, fondly.   
  
\--  
  
Garnet entered the tavern, removing the hood of her cloak and standing by the door a moment just to get her bearings. She felt a rush of nostalgia at being there. It had been a few years since she’d been inside The Black Crane. But it was as though time hadn’t touched the place. Everything she remembered, from the gold and purple-hued lighting, the pine tables, the smell of beer and spice was just as it had been when she’d frequented the tavern in her younger days.   
  
The tavern was meant for supernatural creatures and it served as a sort of neutral meeting place, where different species who would normally see each other as enemies could sit together and be civil. Their world ran parallel to the world of humans and natural creatures. The supernatural world was thriving, but places such as the Black Crane existed in pocket dimensions and remote locations that humans didn’t go to.  
  
Behind the bar, an orc man was working and Garnet bought herself a drink. She leaned against the bar, eyes scanning over the patrons. She was looking for a specific face and finally located her, seated alone near the back by the window. Garnet went over, weaving her way between the other tables. She stopped by the lone woman, waiting to be noticed.   
  
The woman glanced up at her and she gasped, jumping up out of her seat. “GARNET?!” She threw open her arms and yanked the witch in against her in a bear hug. “How the heck ARE ya?! Oh my GOSH! It’s been… oh geez, at least a couple-a years!”   
  
“Oof! Bismuth!” Garnet gasped, sure she felt something crack.   
  
“Whoops, sorry!” The woman set Garnet down and released her from the suffocating embrace. She grinned, looking embarrassed. “You okay?”   
  
“I’ll live,” Garnet answered, smiling. She gave Bismuth an affectionate tap on the shoulder with her fist. “Mind if I sit with you a while?”   
  
“Yeah! I mean- no! ‘Course I don’t mind.”  
  
The pair sat together in the booth. In the tavern, time wasn’t of the essence. Since it existed in a dimension apart from time and space, hours could be spend in the bar without a single minute passing on the outside. Garnet was happy to spend at least a few hours, just catching up with her friend before she got to more pressing matters.   
  
\--  
  


Pearl and Amethyst ate dinner together seated at the long dining table. Amethyst sat at the head and Pearl had taken the seat immediately to her right. It meant that Pearl could touch her throughout the meal, and she took advantage of that by occasionally caressing her thigh or touching her hair. Just soft, affectionate gestures that Amethyst seemed to appreciate.

The vampire had completely forgiven the cross incident and she didn’t really want to dwell on it, despite the fact that Amethyst had brought it up and exhaustively apologized over it at least three times during dinner alone.

“It’s fine, you were scared, I understand,” Pearl said. “I’m sorry I made you afraid.”

“You didn’t,” Amethyst answered, sighing. “I’ve been so… I dunno. So on edge since…”

“Since that thing in the woods?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Well Garnet is looking into it, but there’s nothing to fear. Even if it’s still out there tonight, I can sail over the treetops with you. We wouldn’t even have to walk through the woods.”

“I don’t wanna go out there right now…” Amethyst mumbled. “I wish I could explain it. Logically I know I’m safe here. But I can’t seem to talk myself out of this feeling.”

Pearl touched Amethyst’s shoulder. “It’s alright. But what would cause such a reaction? Another werewolf?”

Amethyst shook her head. “I’d know if it was a werewolf. But even if it was, they’d be human when I was being chased. That thing wasn’t human. I don’t know what it was… I’ve never felt…” She trailed off. She’d been staring fearfully off into the middle distance but then abruptly focused back to Pearl, on the vampire’s wide-eyed, concerned expression. Amethyst was struck by how ridiculous the entire thing sounded even to her. Removed from her paralyzing fear, it all sounded silly. She wanted to laugh it off, but even talking about it had brought it out again. The strange disquiet that was rapidly progressing into another state of high arousal and fear.

Pearl began to stroke her arm, trying to ground her and soothe her. As a vampire, she was very attuned to heartbeats, even when she wasn’t touching pulse points. Amethyst’s heart rate had begun to climb and she could tell the woman was inching towards another panic attack. “Amethyst, it’s alright… I’m sorry, I won’t ask about it again,” Pearl said, softly.

“No, you… you should be allowed,” Amethyst answered. She began to calm down with Pearl touching her. “I seriously don’t know what’s wrong with me or what I’m reacting to. It’s some kind of instinct but I don’t know what would trigger it.” She shook her head, feeling at a loss and frustrated.

Pearl leaned in, kissing the top of her head. It was a gesture that Amethyst felt touched by, perhaps because she was feeling so vulnerable and tender that night. She again thought of just how out of the ordinary it was for her to not only stay in one place for more than a couple of days, but to get so close to another person in such a short amount of time.

“How about we take a nice relaxing bath?” Pearl suggested. “It might make you feel better.”

Amethyst nodded. “Yeah, okay…” she agreed.

In the bath, Amethyst did feel her worries start to melt away. The water was nice and warm and it had a smooth texture on her skin that was unlike the harsh, mineral-rich water of the springs she usually bathed in. It just felt luxurious, and even the quality of water was higher than she was accustomed to.

Amethyst still had the wilderness inside her; the urge to run barefoot across the ground, to climb trees, to sleep under the stars and wake up to the sunrise illuminating the mountains in gold. Although humans had taken pity on her when they saw the twigs in her hair and the soil under her nails, Amethyst hadn’t felt like she was worse off than them.

She’d bathed in ice cold streams, crawled into caves for shelter and had slept nearly every night during every winter on the frozen ground. It had never bothered her.

But there was something appealing about spending the upcoming winter season at Candlewood. There was some part of her that wanted nothing more than to hunker down and hibernate under warm blankets, next to Pearl. She had a feeling that Pearl would be more than happy with such an arrangement.

Amethyst thought those things as she washed her hair. She wrung it out over her shoulder after she’d rinsed it, but she didn’t have any immediate desire to leave the bath. So she started dog paddling around, instead. Pearl watched from where she was in the water. She’d finished bathing herself and she pushed off from the edge, swimming out into the middle of the bath where Amethyst was happily splashing around. Pearl swam past Amethyst, purposely brushing against her as she did, before diving elegantly under the surface of the water.

Amethyst swam to the closed edge of the bath and hoisted herself up over the smooth decorative stone that surrounded most of the bath. She got to her feet, eyes locking on Pearl’s stark white body beneath the surface of the water, swimming right along the bottom. Although Amethyst knew Pearl breathed, it occurred to her that as a vampire, she probably didn’t need to.

But Pearl did surface after about a minute under the water. She looked around for Amethyst but caught sight of her too late to do anything but shriek and raise her hands as Amethyst canon-balled right next to her.

Amethyst popped up from the water, grinning. Pearl grabbed her around the waist from behind and lifted her while Amethyst first gasped and then giggled. “Aaah! Put me down! Noooo!”

“You little brat!” Pearl exclaimed, blowing a raspberry right against Amethyst’s neck. The sensation sent Amethyst squealing and squirming, but Pearl held her fast.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Amethyst cried through laughter.

“That’s not good enough!” Pearl answered. “I’m going to have to punish you.”

“Oh nooo! What are you-eek!” Amethyst was tossed over Pearl’s shoulders in a fireman’s carry and Amethyst could do little more than kick her legs and giggle as Pearl walked out of the bath and onto the deck. She began to hover into the air, bringing the two of them up towards the cave-like ceiling.

“Alright, Amethyst,” Pearl declared. “Time to go down!”

Amethyst giggled and clung to Pearl as much as she could. “You wouldn’t!”

“Wouldn’t I?”

Pearl bucked Amethyst off herself and flung her upwards. For a split second, Amethyst was airborne. But just as quickly, Pearl caught her across her outstretched arms. Amethyst faintly glared. “You’ll be so busy showing off that you’ll actually drop me!” she complained. She pouted and tilted her head to look down at the water below them. It wasn’t such a far drop. Amethyst had jumped off cliffs higher than they were. “I always forget vampires can fly.”

“Werewolves can’t?” Pearl asked, teasingly.

“That would be pretty funny if they could. Werewolves just flying over the moon.”

Pearl chuckled. “It would be a sight. But I’d never drop you.” She gave Amethyst’s cheek a nuzzle. “I wouldn’t want you to be mad at me.”

“Heheh. I’d be pretty pissed if you did, but I’d get over it.” Amethyst could feel that they were slowly descending back towards the water.

“I wouldn’t want to do anything that would make you have reason to distrust me.”

Amethyst’s expression sobered. “I do trust you, Pearl…” she said, softly. “I guess that’s kind of weird to say after I waved a cross at you, earlier.”

“Yes… but you were afraid. I can understand that. I do appreciate you throwing it away. That was the only one, right?”

“I have like twenty more,” Amethyst answered with a grin. Pearl gasped and then dunked her under the water while Amethyst flailed.

“You’re so bad!” Pearl exclaimed.

—

After their bath, Pearl took Amethyst to her room to rummage through the wardrobe for clothes. Once they’d both dressed, Amethyst poked around Pearl’s coffin again, fascinated by it.

“Y’know, I never thought vampires actually slept in coffins,” Amethyst stated. “Where did you even get this?”

“I had it custom made,” Pearl replied. “Here, do you want me to…” She slipped her hands under Amethyst’s arms and lifted her up to put her in the coffin. Amethyst sat upright inside.

“It’s comfortable I guess. But it’s so narrow.”

“Well, I hadn’t had it built for two people. Although… I could have a new one made… for that purpose…” She reached to stroke Amethyst’s cheek. Amethyst blushed.

“For both of us?” she asked. Pearl gazed at her.

“Mmhm… of course, the bed is nice, too.”

“What’s the coffin for? Why not sleep in a regular bed?” Amethyst lied down inside, just to see how it felt. It was comfortable but even with the top open, she felt a sense of claustrophobia.

“It’s silly,” Pearl said. “It’s because I’m vulnerable when I sleep.”

“Why?” Amethyst sat up again.

“Well, I mean my heart is vulnerable,” Pearl said, gesturing to her chest.

“Ooh… because of that stake through the heart thing?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t feel too bad, Pearl. That would probably kill most people.” Amethyst grinned.

“I could get staked anywhere else on my body and I’d survive it, though. Vampires are very durable.”

“That’s good,” Amethyst said. “I’m not really durable at all. I guess I heal faster than a regular human and, well… I don’t age. But I think if someone wanted to attack me with a wooden stake, I’d probably die.”

“I’d keep you safe,” Pearl answered. “Obviously. And wait… you don’t age? What do you mean? Do werewolves not age like any other humans?”

Amethyst winced. “Oookay, so…” She awkwardly tapped her hand against the side of the coffin. Pearl sat herself next to it on the edge of the platform it was situated on. It brought her at about eye level with Amethyst.

“So?” Pearl asked, interested.

“I’ve been a werewolf since I was a baby.”

“You were bitten that young?” Pearl gasped.

“No, it’s how I was born. My mom was a human woman, no wolf at all. And my… _dad_ was a werewolf. My parents, er… conceived me on the night of a full moon when dad was… like… fully transformed.”

Pearl wasn’t sure if she was more horrified or impressed by that. “That sounds so dangerous.”

“Look, it really depends on the werewolf, okay?” Amethyst said, defensively. “Not every werewolf is vicious. But in my family, I guess it’s a whole bloodline. I don’t know if any of us were bitten first, or how far back that happened but… as far as I can remember, it’s just been like this condition that runs in the family.”

“I had no idea. That’s fascinating,” Pearl said. “It isn’t the same for my kind. A vampire can’t have a vampire child. At least, not to my knowledge.”

“I don’t know how common it is. You’d think a werewolf lineage would make me a better werewolf but I’m not even good at that. I don’t get bigger or stronger, I just look like this with fur, basically.”

“That sounds sweet!”

“It’s not sweet!” Amethyst cried. “I’m not supposed to be sweet, oh my god.” She dropped down onto her back in the coffin, vanishing from Pearl’s view. “When I transform, I’m supposed to be vicious and like eight feet tall with like… muscles and huge jaws!”

“Oh… I didn’t realize.”

“I’m almost like a halfbreed. I’m not a real werewolf, just some watered-down version.”

“Well, whatever you are, I think you’re wonderful.” Pearl leaned over the side of the coffin to look in on her. “I think you’re perfect the way you are.”

“You won’t be saying that in a few nights when I transform.”

“I’ll probably be saying even better things,” Pearl answered.

Amethyst fell silent, just staring up at her. She blinked a couple of times and then averted her gaze, shyly. “You’re really amazing, you know that?”

Pearl looked surprised and then her expression softened. “Aw… if you say so, I guess I can believe it.”

“I’m serious. You just took me in when I was all dirty and wet, you let me stay here, you treated me… better than I’ve ever been treated before. You even forgave me for trying to come at you with a cross. You’ve just been so…” Amethyst sat up again and she pressed her forehead against Pearl’s. “Thank you.”

Pearl smiled. “I’m happy to have you here. I like you a lot, Amethyst…”

Amethyst felt her stomach do a flip-flop. “I like you a lot, too.”

“May I take you to bed?”

“Y-yes please.”

Pearl carried Amethyst to her room where the bed was larger and more comfortable for Amethyst. She dropped Amethyst onto the mattress and immediately descended over her, kissing her. Amethyst returned the kiss, eagerly. She slid her arms around Pearl’s neck, pulling her closer.

From there, lips locked together, they tried to wriggle out of the clothes they’d only been wearing for all of a few minutes. Once Amethyst’s breasts were free, Pearl cupped them in her hands, savouring their warmth and softness. She circled her thumbs over Amethyst’s nipples, hearing the woman emit a soft whimper in response.

“My, my… so sensitive,” Pearl murmured. She drew one of the dark nubs into her mouth and sucked it gently. Amethyst pushed up against it, her hands cradling Pearl’s head against her chest. While Pearl’s mouth was preoccupied, one of her hands slid down between Amethyst’s legs.

Pearl ran her fingers over the woman’s wet slit, back and forth. She couldn’t help herself and slipped one finger inside the hot, silky confines. Amethyst whimpered at the intrusion, small though it was.

“P-Pearl…?”

Pearl stopped. “Oh, is that hurting you?” she asked, worriedly.

“No… but… am I still um… your pet?”

Pearl was surprised by the question. “You mean, now that I know you’re immortal like me?” She chuckled. “Amethyst, you know that was just… a bit of roleplay, right? I don’t actually think of you as like an animal that I can keep on a leash or anything.”

“I know that, but…” Amethyst closed her eyes, fighting a blush. “I liked it when you called me that. So can I still be that?”

Pearl smiled. “You still want to be my sweet little pet, do you?”

Amethyst nodded.

“Such a spoiled pet…” Pearl cooed. Amethyst felt a shiver run up her spine. “You’re very docile, though. I couldn’t have asked for a better pet. You’re so eager to please. You’ll let me do anything I want to you, won’t you?”

Amethyst nodded again, eagerly. She whimpered as Pearl reintroduced her finger into her pussy. “How cute you are…” Pearl murmured. She pressed in against her, inhaling her scent from the crook of her neck. “I’ve started to really like your scent, Amethyst.”

“Th-that’s good, right?”

“It makes it a bit tempting to bite you.”

“Bite me, please…” Amethyst begged. Pearl slid another finger into her and began to pump them both in and out.

“Another time, maybe.”

Amethyst whined but she was silenced by Pearl’s lips roughly pressing against hers. Any complaints she had were smothered and forgotten as she melted into the kiss. Pearl removed her fingers for a moment and slid her hands under Amethyst’s thighs, hoisting her up onto her lap. Her fingers returned to Amethyst’s sex where she resumed the pumping motion. Amethyst rocked her hips against Pearl’s hand.

“You tooo…” she groaned.

“Hmm?”

“I wanna touch you, too...”

“Oh you do, do you?” Pearl asked, teasingly. Her fingers quickened, making wet sounds.

“Please…” Amethyst pleaded. “I-I wanna… I wanna make you cum…”

“In a minute…” Pearl answered, distractedly. The heel of her palm pressed and rubbed against Amethyst’s clit while her two fingers plunged in and out of her pussy. Amethyst squirmed and shuddered, her needy whimpers turning into increasingly more breathless moans and gasps. Pearl could sense she was close to her peak and the vampire eagerly brought her over the edge just to see her face as she came.

It was beautiful to Pearl.

Amethyst fell back onto the bed, her breasts rising and falling as she struggled to breathe. Her dark eyes were slitted, looking first at the canopy above them, then looking at Pearl. Pearl was looking right back at Amethyst, sucking her two fingers that had been inside her.

“Do… you not like that? Being touched?” Amethyst asked, breathlessly.

“It’s not that I don’t like it…” Pearl answered. “It’s just that some of my partners in the past weren’t interested in reciprocating. Which was fine. I didn’t have an issue with that.”

“Well I don’t wanna be like that,” Amethyst said. “I don’t wanna be selfish in bed.”

Pearl giggled. “Alright, alright. Since this is bothering you so much. What would you like me to do?”

Amethyst paused, giving it some thought. Pearl could tell she was shy and she set her hand on Amethyst’s hand to encourage her. “Please don’t be shy, Amethyst. I want to know what you want.”

“I want to use um… my mouth…” Amethyst mumbled. “Y-y’know?”

Pearl’s eyes widened. Her interest was certainly piqued, but she didn’t want to appear over eager, since Amethyst was new to such things and clearly a little uncertain of herself. Still, her mind immediately flooded with thoughts of Amethyst’s soft, warm mouth, licking and sucking between her legs. It was too much.

“A-alright, Pet,” Pearl exhaled. “Shall I… lay back?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Pearl reclined on the bed, her upper torso propped up on the pillows so she wasn’t fully flat. She gave Amethyst a heated look before she parted her legs. Amethyst scooted across the sheets to seat herself between Pearl’s splayed thighs. She rested her hands against them and Pearl sighed.

“Mmm your hands are warm,” she murmured, giving an appreciative smile.

Amethyst was inexperienced, a reality she kept being aware of every time Pearl seemed levels above her. It made her wish she’d tried even a little bit to integrate into society, despite being a werewolf. If just so she could’ve had opportunities to be intimate with other partners and develop some moves of her own.

Pearl could sense Amethyst’s trepidation even as the woman seemed determined to do it. The vampire was perfectly tuned in to the frequency of Amethyst’s body; the racing of her heart, her uneven breath, the heated places on her face and in her groin. And she could tell she was aroused. She could smell it. She reached her hand out to touch Amethyst’s cheek. Almost immediately, some of the tension drained from Amethyst’s body.

“Pet… sweetheart,” Pearl whispered, adoringly gazing into Amethyst’s dark eyes. “Just do what feels right. We have all the time we need together… we can take this slowly.”

Amethyst thought it rather funny that Pearl would suddenly be suggesting they take anything slowly when the last few days had been a dizzying whirlwind of sex, sensuality and revelations. But she appreciated the sentiment none the less. And Pearl had never pushed her or pressured her at any point along the way. The pace had always been Amethyst’s to set.

“Okay…” Amethyst answered. “I wanna do this… I probably won’t be any good but…” Blushing and averting her gaze almost apologetically, Amethyst reached between Pearl’s legs and brushed her fingers against her sex. She gently parted the folds with her probing fingers, wetting the digits with the fluids from Pearl’s honeyed entrance. Amethyst brought her fingers back to her mouth and sucked on them to taste. Pearl watched her.

The taste was mild with a slight tang. Not unpleasant but certainly not comparable to any other flavours that Amethyst was familiar with.

“Are you ready for more, or did you want to stop?” Pearl asked.

“No. More,” Amethyst answered. She sprawled down, dipping her head between Pearl’s legs and gripping her thighs with her fingertips.

Pearl was unsure if touching Amethyst’s head, even gently, would distract her from what she wanted to do. The vampire woman decided against it. She waited, tensely. She could feel Amethyst’s hot breath between her legs. Her anticipation was growing. She wanted to be patient, but it was agonizing waiting for Amethyst’s mouth to make contact with her pussy. There was a steady pulsing in her clit and an uncomfortable tickle in her lower belly. She desperately needed it satiated.

“A-Amethyst…?” Pearl asked. It spurned Amethyst to action. Her mouth was suddenly pressed against her. Pearl gasped, startled by the suddenness and forcefulness of it. She’d expected Amethyst to make only slight contact at first and test things out. It sent a shudder through her body.

Amethyst gave Pearl’s thighs a squeeze and she began to lap with her tongue and suction her lips around Pearl’s clit.

She’d taken notice before of how Pearl was completely hairless between her legs but she didn’t know if it was grooming she maintained herself or some kind of vampire trait. It made things a little easier to locate, however, so Amethyst was grateful for it. She’d been nervous about going down on Pearl, afraid she wouldn’t like it. But she found herself enjoying it. Even though Pearl wasn’t all that vocal, she could hear the way her breath quickened and she could feel the tensing in her hips.

Amethyst didn’t have much in the way of technique, Pearl noticed. But she was enthusiastic none the less, more than making up for her lack of experience. And Pearl was still turned on, just by the sight of Amethyst’s head between her legs and the soft wet sounds of her mouth making contact.

Pearl gently stroked the top of Amethyst’s head. “You’re wonderful…” Pearl whispered. She bit her lip. “I… o-oh… suck me right there like _that_ , pet…”

Amethyst was feeling encouraged. She eagerly delved her tongue into Pearl’s vagina, to taste her more fully. Pearl had begun to moan softly and she couldn’t help but gently move her hips against Amethyst’s mouth.

As Pearl started to peak, Amethyst’s tongue touched a strange area inside of Pearl. The roof of her vagina had an unusual texture to it in one spot. It was scar tissue. Scar tissue in the shape of a cross.

“A-Amethyst! Aah!” Pearl arched up, her inner walls spasming around Amethyst’s tongue as she came. She remained arched, her body shuddering through an orgasm that lasted several seconds. She finished with a spent gasp for breath before her hips dropped to the mattress and Amethyst lingered a few moments more to lap up any remaining fluids. When she withdrew, she sat up, getting a good look at Pearl.   
  
Pearl didn’t appear to be in any discomfort or distress. Far from it. She was simply lying on her back, legs and arms splayed open, her expression blissful. She smiled and reached for Amethyst, her cool fingertips brushing against Amethyst’s neck. “Come here, pet…” she beckoned, sounding faintly needy. Amethyst didn’t come. She remained sitting crouched just out of Pearl’s reach until the vampire woman sat up, her afterglow forgotten. “What is it?” Pearl asked, immediately concerned. “What’s wrong?”  
  
Seeing Pearl’s wide-eyed concern, Amethyst leaned forward and nudged her way into Pearl’s arms for a cuddle. She pressed her face against Pearl’s shoulder. “Nothing… I just… can’t believe I got you off, that’s all.”   
  
Pearl smiled and encircled her arms around the woman. “Why is that so unbelievable? You really should give yourself more credit.”   
  
“Heh, I… guess so. Yeah.”   
  
Pearl held Amethyst against her body and the two of them spent several long minutes together in silence. Amethyst began to trace her fingertip down Pearl’s neck, down the center of her rib cage, and down her belly to her groin. She realized she was following a slightly raised line that ran perfectly down the center of Pearl’s body. Amethyst suppressed a cold shudder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a long time in the making, and hopefully it sufficed. I think there wasn't a sex scene last chapter so I had to make sure this one had one! It's important. But I should mention that the sex scenes may get a bit freakier onwards. Also I'm totally fudging a lot of werewolf lore for the sole purpose of making Amethyst a cute and cuddly werewolf.


	5. The stone angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like once I got the last chapter out of the way, this one flowed a lot easier. My advice is to try and write a sex scene all in one go because it is DAMN hard to pick it up again after.

After a few drinks and some time spent playing catch up, Garnet decided to get to the real point of her meeting with Bismuth. She tried to explain what she could about the situation with Amethyst, Pearl and the beast roaming the woods, with Bismuth occasionally interjecting to remark on details and laugh. When Garnet had finished, Bismuth reclined and set her arms up against the back of the booth. She reached for her mug and took a swig of beer, wiping the foam off her upper lip and setting the mug back down on the tabletop with force. Garnet leaned forward, expectantly.

“In my professional opinion,” Bismuth spoke, her expression turning dark. “You’ve got yourself a Lycan.”

“Lycan…” Garnet echoed in faint confusion. “I thought _lycan_ was just another word for what we call a werewolf.”

“Mm… a common misconception,” Bismuth murmured, chuckling. “And a deadly one. If you shot a lycan with a silver bullet, all you’d do is piss it off. They’re bigger, stronger, meaner and uglier than werewolves. They can transform from human to lycan at will; no full moon needed. And they’re damn hard to kill. If you have a werewolf near a lycan, they’re going to feel like something is wrong. That’s the only thing I can think of that makes any sense. This little werewolf girl might not know consciously that it was a lycan, but her body knows.”

Garnet mused over it for a moment, clasping her hands together under her nose and looking concerned. “This could mean trouble for the village… the lycan must be a newcomer but the only person I’ve seen that’s new is Amethyst.”

“The lycan could’ve followed her in,” Bismuth suggested. “Or maybe the lycan was living in the village for a while and having a werewolf in his territory just set him off. It’s just too much of a coincidence that you’d get a lycan and a werwolf in your neighbourhood at the same time.”

“Well I wish he hadn’t taken his anger out on my horse,” Garnet sighed.

Bismuth rolled her eyes. “Garnet, you and Pearl have gotta stop being so surface. You don’t have to be as stealthy as you are. You don’t have to play by the humans’ rules, y’know.”

“Pearl won’t leave Candlewood. Her guilt keeps her bound to it,” Garnet answered. “So I watch over her until the day she’s ready to break free.”

“Why?” Bismuth asked. She grinned and leaned forward, nudging Garnet’s arm. “You sure it’s just friendship you feel for Pearl?”

Garnet didn’t react to the insinuation. She continued to look troubled. “I’m not sure I can describe how I feel towards Pearl. She’s in my charge. When I found her locked in that room…” Garnet shook her head, a flash of the memory crossing her mind. Bismuth’s expression sobered and she touched Garnet’s arm, gently.

“Hey, I’m just teasing…”

“I know you are.”

“I don’t mind if you guys want to keep doing the human thing for a while longer,” Bismuth continued. “It’s just…” She squinted as she looked around at the other patrons of the tavern. “The underworld is getting kind of dull.”

“Well, there’s always a room at my inn for you if you ever feel like coming for a visit,” Garnet offered. “Actually… I could use your help in trying to catch this lycan, if that’s really what we’re dealing with.”

Bismuth smiled. “I’ve never killed a lycan before. It won’t be easy.”

“We don’t have to kill it, we just have to reason with it…”

“Or you could just give it what it wants.”

Garnet frowned. “Pearl would be devastated if anything happened to Amethyst and I’m not risking Pearl going back on all the progress she’s made just to appease an angry lycan.”

“Heh, alright. We’ll find another way,” Bismuth agreed. “I’m just saying, that’s probably the easiest option.”

—

The absence of heat against her side roused Pearl from her sleep and she opened her eyes to see Amethyst sitting on the edge of her side of the bed, slipping on her clothes. With a yawn, Pearl propped her head up in her hand, blinking slowly. “Amethyst?” she asked, sleepily.

“Just going to the bathroom,” Amethyst answered, glancing over her shoulder at Pearl. She smiled and crawled the short distance across the bed to kiss Pearl. “I’ll be back.”

“Do you need me to come along?”

“Nah. I know that thing wouldn’t come onto the grounds, if it’s still hanging around out there.”

“Alright…” Pearl murmured, sleep already trying to take her back. “Don’t be too long or I’ll miss you…”

Amethyst left Pearl to keep sleeping and she headed down the dark hallway and down the stairs. She passed by the bookshelf and stopped to look at it a moment. The book she’d found the other night was still right where Pearl had returned it. She was burning with curiosity over it, but she let it be for the time being and continued on into the kitchen.

It wasn’t until Amethyst cracked the back door, boots on her feet, that she realized it was another damp, drizzly day. She sighed and hurried out the door and to the outhouse. She did her business quickly, eager to return to the house and get back under the covers with Pearl where it was warm and dry. She made her way back across the short distance between the outhouse and the kitchen door but she realized very quickly when she gave the door a tug, that it had locked itself when it blew shut.

“Oh no…” Amethyst muttered, giving the door a couple of pulls. “Shit.” She turned from it, standing in her boots in the mud. The front door? She made her way carefully around the side of the house, having to work hard to lift her feet in some places, due to the suction of the muddy ground.

Amethyst tried the front door a few times but it was locked as well. Perhaps whatever mechanisms lowered the drawbridge across the moat also locked up the house during the day. She knocked on the door a few times and waited, but Pearl didn’t answer.

Would Pearl really sleep all day and not notice she was missing? It was possible. With the sun well hidden behind the cloud cover, it was difficult to discern the time of day, although Amethyst had a feeling that it was probably only about 10 in the morning, basing it on nothing more than her own hunch.

Amethyst walked back around the house to the kitchen door, thinking Pearl would let her in there eventually. The rain hadn’t usually bothered her but it felt much less tolerable after being introduced to the seductive alternative of a warm bed indoors. Amethyst whined to herself, walking in a circle and doing an impatient hop. Then she turned to look behind the house, where the kitchen door let out. She hadn’t actually ventured beyond the outhouse before, but a cursory glance told her that there was quite a lot of land that seemed to encompass the Candlewood grounds. In theory, it was all safe to roam. Amethyst hadn’t had much opportunity to explore her surroundings. She noticed that behind the house, the trees had been cleared a ways back and the skeletal remains of what appeared to be an old farmhouse stood sagging in the rain.

Deciding to take a quick look, Amethyst made the difficult trek through the mud towards the farm house. As she got closer to it, other details began to emerge from the rainy mist. There was a very sorry looking fence, mostly toppled over, surrounding what would’ve been a pasture at one time. Amethyst also saw an empty stable and a chicken coop. She crouched down next to the coop to curiously peek inside. Inside, there was a shining black, writhing mass that startled her.

Amethyst stumbled backwards, arms flailing. She stood up, taking a defensive stance. But nothing emerged from the chicken coop. The woman gripped the front of her shirt, feeling her stomach churn with unease. She warily inched back to the opening and again peeked inside. The thing was still there, still moving. When part of it finally caught the meagre daylight, Amethyst realized it was a black snake. Or several, by the looks of it. At least a dozen black snakes, all tangled around each other, moving together as a single pulsating mass. She didn’t know why, but she didn’t like the sight of them and she backed away from the coop and took off running.

She passed the farmhouse and stopped at the edge of what was once a field for livestock, if she had to guess. The mist obscured the edge of it, and Amethyst felt uneasy about walking into it. She peered into the whiteness, trying to see where the trees began again. When that proved fruitless, Amethyst turned her attention to the farm house, the thing that had brought her out in the first place. She made her way back towards it, stepping on several flat, white stones on her way. She was grateful for them, as they acted like stepping stones across the muddier patches.

She reached the farmhouse and tested the door. It opened with ease and she poked her head inside. The interior was dark, with some streams of dim light scattered around, made from holes in the roof that had rotten through. And Amethyst felt again, the unmistakable presence of silver. It hit her hard and abruptly, causing her to sag against the doorframe. She felt dizzy and she clamped a hand over her mouth, afraid she was going to vomit. Her knees buckled and she struggled to hold herself upright. For that moment, she was paralyzed, too weakened to even stand properly, much less run away. Stuck where she was, she stared into the darkness, letting her eyes adjust. She began to make out the outlines of chains hanging from the rafters. At the end of each chain was a large meat hook. And although Amethyst stared hard at them, she wasn’t sure if they were swinging slowly or if she was only imagining it.

There were chains attached to the walls as well, all of them clustered in groups of four. On the end of each chain was a shackle. There were at least four sets of four that Amethyst could make out. In the center, right beneath one of the shafts of light, was a wooden table with leather straps across the top and bottom. Four in total. One for each limb.

Amethyst finally found the strength to turn and flee. The rain had begun to pick up as she ran. She ran past the length of the farmhouse, ending up on the other side of it. Amethyst thought she caught sight of a person standing just beyond the farmhouse and she shrieked once before covering her mouth with her hands. It wasn’t a person, or even alive. It was a stone angel standing atop a raised stone platform.

Curiously, Amethyst approached it. The angel stood with her head bowed and her eyes closed. She had her hands clasped together and held her arms down at hip level, as though she were cupping her stomach. In that dip, moss and rainwater had pooled. It was also running down her face and dripping off the end of her nose. Around the angel were more of the flat, white stones Amethyst had taken notice of. With the angel there for context, Amethyst abruptly leapt off the stone she’d been standing on, realizing she was in a graveyard. Sure enough, upon closer inspection, the white stones had words on them, although time and wear had rendered the words impossible to read.

Amethyst walked around each stone as she approached the angel. If it too was a grave, she was curious about who’s grave it was. But much like the others, the writing in the stone was too difficult to read.

There was one more grave off to the side, a few feet from the angel. It was raised up in a traditional tombstone. The only one like that. It had started to sink to one side in the mud and there was a crack running down it. There was a name that Amethyst could read and she gasped at the sight of it. Just to be sure, she went closer and knelt in front of it, tracing out the name with her finger.

“Jeremiah Candlewood,” she mouthed. Why had that name been the one to last? It was a name she recognized. In her country at least, the legends of Jeremiah Candlewood circulated in whispers. But Amethyst had begun to believe that they’d only been legends after all. The knowledge that he’d been real once sent Amethyst’s heart pounding. The thing she’d come to Candlewood for. A cure. Was it getting closer?

Amethyst stood up straight, completely ignorant of the rain even as it began to pelt her. She looked back at the house, exhaling and seeing her own breath in the chilly autumn air.

If she was being honest with herself, the urge to cure herself of being a werewolf had become less and less important to her as the years had gone on. It had once been her driving force, the thing that urged her forward. In her age, she’d become more introspective and she began to recognize that her desire for a cure was less about saving her soul from eternal damnation, as had originally been the case, and more about a yearning for connection. She was a werewolf domesticated by generations of a progressively diluted bloodline. But she was still enough of an “other” that she was regarded with suspicion and distrust by humans.

She’d assumed that if she was free of her curse, she’d find some kind of happiness in her life. But…

Maybe it was only because she was lonely that she was vulnerable to it. Maybe it was only because she was inexperienced. But being with Pearl was starting to feel a little bit like being happy.

Amethyst groaned and palmed her face, wondering when she’d gotten so sentimental and girly. It was true that Pearl was affectionate with her, but she couldn’t be sure of how genuine it all was. None of it had been earned through time and trust, as was to be expected in a normal interaction between two people. Instead, Pearl had immediately lavished attention on her, praising her and kissing her, eagerly indulging in Amethyst like she was a new toy. And people grew bored of their toys in time.

Would Pearl be honest with her if she just asked? If Amethyst had a reason to stay, maybe she would. She seemed to have as much time as she needed. She could stay with Pearl and look for the cure later on. Years down the road. Her searching hadn’t led her to anything and she was growing tired of it. It would’ve been nice to just rest.  
  
She had to get to know Pearl beyond hollow affection, though. She had to first address with Pearl, exactly what had taken place at Candlewood Manor and the extent of Pearl’s involvement in it. She needed to trust Pearl and she needed Pearl to trust _her_ if they were ever going to progress beyond the stage they were at. Amethyst knew that could take time and she didn’t want to force it. But she did want to know if Pearl had any interest at all in progressing things further.

Amethyst trudged back to the kitchen door, her arms around herself to stave off the biting chill in the air. She was only standing there a few more minutes, trying to think of what to do, when the kitchen door swung open with force.

“Amethyst?!” Pearl looked back and forth, her gaze resting on Amethyst. She looked relieved. Amethyst immediately ran to her and Pearl opened her arms, pulling Amethyst into a tight hug. “Ohh, are you alright?? You got locked out! I’m so sorry!” Locked in an embrace, Pearl backed them up back into the house and she lost her footing at the edge of the floor, tumbling onto her backside. Amethyst fell with her, landing on top of her chest. The kitchen door remained open behind them.

Amethyst eased herself up, looking down at Pearl. She could see how there was color in Pearl’s skin and a dark clarity in her eyes. She’d clearly just had blood. Perhaps she’d chugged it down to give herself strength. It made her look human. If Amethyst had met her like this instead, she never would’ve suspected that Pearl was anything but a human woman. The difference was that dramatic. Her body was even giving off its own heat.

Pearl stared up at Amethyst and she reached to smooth some of the woman’s long hair back. “Please say something… are you mad at me?”

“No…” Amethyst shook her head. “It was an accident.”

“You poor thing…” Pearl said. She tried to sit up and Amethyst sat back to allow her to do so. Still, it left Amethyst rather suggestively straddling Pearl, a connection they both took notice of and Amethyst emphasized with a little jut of her hips.

Pearl thought it was probably important to get Amethyst into dry clothes, but she was distracted by the fact that she could clearly and plainly see Amethyst’s breasts through her wet shirt. Pearl gently cupped one through the fabric in her hand and Amethyst sighed at how warm she felt. Maybe she’d actually fed so that her body would be warm and appealing to Amethyst after being outside.

Amethyst leaned into Pearl’s body and Pearl’s arms encircled her once more. Their lips met in a kiss, with Amethyst melting against it almost immediately. Pearl moaned softly, closing her eyes and forcefully pushing herself forward. She pushed Amethyst against the kitchen wall next to the open door and began to kiss her harshly, which Amethyst could do little more than whimper over.

Pearl sat between Amethyst’s legs to keep them open and she brought one of her knees between them to press into Amethyst’s groin. And just like that, every nerve in Amethyst’s body was lit up. She gasped briefly as her mouth was freed from Pearl’s, only to have it possessively reclaimed by the vampire a moment later. Amethyst gripped Pearl’s night shirt in her hands, then slid her arms around Pearl’s neck instead, gasping again when Pearl’s hungry lips laid claim to her exposed neck.

“P-Pearl… oh god…” Amethyst groaned. She opened her legs wider, grinding against Pearl’s knee. She squeaked when she felt Pearl’s teeth graze her sensitive throat. The vampire could feel Amethyst’s pulse fluttering like the beating of a bird’s wings. Pearl took in a deep breath of her scent; the earthy scent of petrichor.

“My Amethyst…” Pearl murmured, fondly. Amethyst shuddered against the thinner woman’s body. “I’m sorry you got locked out… we should get you upstairs and dried off.”

“No, not yet…” Amethyst pleaded. She tried to tug Pearl even closer. She gazed heatedly at her. “I know you wanna bite me.”

Pearl stared a moment but a hungry look passed over her, along with a faint, animalistic grunt. When she spoke again, her voice sounded warbled, like she was struggling to speak. “Is that… you consenting to it?”

“Do it,” Amethyst said, seriously. “I’m not human, remember. I can take it.”

“I won’t take much,” Pearl promised. She exhaled, opening her mouth. Her fangs, always present but never particularly long or sharp, extended in length and the ends tapered off into points. She bit into Amethyst’s neck.

Amethyst’s body jerked once, reacting instinctively to the pain of her skin being punctured. But then there was only a rush of warmth through her body as she felt the heat leave her limbs and pool at the point in her neck that Pearl was biting. Pearl sucked and swallowed repeatedly, making soft groans as she did so. She had Amethyst braced against the wall and Amethyst felt like she was paralyzed and unable to move even if she’d wanted to. It was either a natural response, or Pearl had put her under a slight glamour to keep her from wriggling. It was hard to know for sure.

Amethyst was aware though, as she felt the faint suction of Pearl’s lips and the rush of blood leaving the puncture wound, that she was essentially pinned by a predator who was feeding on her. Pearl wasn’t herself. The noises she was making were not those a human could make. They were low, unsettling rumbles, punctuated with wet sounds each time she swallowed. Amethyst’s pulse began to quicken, which only increased the flow of blood.

It wasn’t pleasurable in the way Amethyst had expected, based on what Pearl had told her. It was… exciting. Faintly painful. A bit arousing, admittedly. Amethyst was sure that Pearl putting her mouth on her would always turn her on a little. But as the blood began to exit the wound quicker, spurned on by Amethyst’s quickening heart, the woman began to feel lightheaded.

Pearl withdrew, licking the wound a few times before she sat back to lick her lips. Her mouth and teeth were stained red. She made another grunt that tapered off into a few strange, throaty plinks. It reminded Amethyst of a mountain lion, if she had to compare the noises to any other living creature. Pearl’s eyes were wide, glassy and bloodshot dark around her irises and gradually fading out into the whites of her eyes. Her pupils had become as black as those of a human, which was as dark as Amethyst had ever seen them, and they were blown out so wide that only a sliver of color rimmed them. The color of her irises had changed from the emerald green that they’d darkened into after her first feeding, to a deep shade of crimson. Her skin was flushed to the point that she looked less like a healthy human and more like she was feverish.

Amethyst wondered if Pearl had somehow crossed her threshold for blood. Was it possible for a vampire to overdose on blood?

Pearl was also twitching like she was buzzing with too much energy. It was most pronounced in her head, which jerked back and forth only about a half inch in either direction. She sat hunched, rasping for breath. Her fangs hadn’t retracted at all so she was unable to close her mouth. It hung open and a line of bloody spittle ran from the center of her lower lip.

“Pearl?” Amethyst asked. She put a hand over the wound in her neck, but it had already started to clot and had ceased bleeding. It stung faintly when the salt from her skin touched the open wound. “Are you okay?” She felt oddly calm through it. She was aware that her fingers and toes had gone cold and tingly. Pearl was staring at her like she was something to eat. But Amethyst’s head was still swimming and her speech was a little slurred when she spoke. Maybe she was under Pearl’s glamour after all. Or maybe she was loopy from blood loss.

Pearl rumbled and pushed forward again, her knee returning to Amethyst’s groin where she pressed in a very blatant way. Amethyst whimpered as Pearl trapped her against the wall again, gazing at her with her unfocused eyes. She retracted her fangs, and Amethyst felt herself relax just a little. Then Pearl pressed her bloody mouth against Amethyst’s, wiggling her tongue inside right away. Amethyst squirmed helplessly, aroused and a little frightened. Perhaps her fear only heightened her arousal. She began to get wet against Pearl’s knee, which was digging almost painfully into her crotch.

“P-Pearl, just slow down, slow down…” Amethyst gasped, managing to pull her mouth away from Pearl’s. The vampire only moved to kiss her neck in response, leaving Amethyst to gasp and tangle her fingers into Pearl’s hair. Amethyst shifted her hips up, searching for relief or release from the growing discomfort in her groin that Pearl did nothing to ease.  
  


Pearl’s lips descended, leaving a lightening bloody trail down Amethyst’s skin. She stopped at the edge of her shirt, and then gripped it in her hands and ripped it open, leaving it in tatters and leaving Amethyst’s breasts exposed. She gripped one of Amethyst’s breasts in her hand, digging her fingers into her flesh. It was almost painful, but Amethyst didn’t protest the rough handling. Pearl’s mouth closed around Amethyst’s nipple and she tugged upwards, pulling her lips back to bite the nub of flesh with her teeth. Amethyst squealed, her eyes squeezed shut as pain and pleasure mingled together in her body. Pearl released her nipple after a moment, then went in again, harshly biting the top of her breast and leaving indents where her teeth had been.  
  
  
Pearl’s hand gripped the inside of Amethyst’s thigh and she squeezed it hard, digging her nails into the flesh and earning another cry from her prey. She rested both hands on Amethyst’s hips, gripping her fingers around the waist of her pants and tugging them roughly down with her underwear. She backed up to allow space enough to remove them a little more than halfway, although she didn’t go as far as pulling them right off Amethyst’s legs. Instead, Pearl snaked herself up between Amethyst’s bare thighs, while leaving her feet tangled in her pants behind her.  
  
  
Pearl didn’t give much notice but pushed two fingers into Amethyst while pressing hard against her clit with the heel of her palm. She began to thrust them in and out at a rapid, frenzied pace. Amethyst cried out, her back sliding down the wall and her ankles trying and failing to kick off the pants that had bound her. Pearl’s fingers felt so hot inside her, moving too fast for her mind to keep up. She seemed determined to get Amethyst to cum, but little else mattered. Amethyst was helpless to it, rendered breathless as her ears filled with her own dry breaths, Pearl’s satisfied purrs and the slick, wet noises of the vampire’s fingers plunging in and out of her.

Amethyst felt like her insides were burning. She could feel a strange buildup of pressure inside her, and a tickle in her lower belly. She felt like she needed to relieve herself and began to panic at the thought that Pearl’s relentless fucking was going to cause her to leak. She tried to verbalize it, but all that came out of her mouth were some blithering gasps and squeaks as her orgasm suddenly hit her in a short but intense burst. She cried out and arched herself as best she could, her eyes going wide as her vision tilted up towards the ceiling. She couldn’t control herself as she gushed fluid that Pearl’s fingers had milked out of her. She would’ve been humiliated by it if her mind hadn’t gone completely white with pleasure in that instant.  
  
  
Amethyst let out a deep, satisfied gasp. Her body went slack against the wall, her legs falling open completely and the tension draining from her, along with her strength. Her ears and face were burning, her heart was pounding, and there was a faint ringing in her ears.  
  


Pearl moved back from Amethyst and Amethyst tried to reach for her, feeling chilled without her heat. In the silence that followed her explosive orgasm, she realized she could hear the sound of the rain falling. The door was still open, letting the cold air into the kitchen. Pearl took notice of it as well and she stood up, stepping to the door to pull it closed and latch it. Amethyst hurriedly pulled her pants back up, although her shirt was ripped right in half. She pushed her back against the wall and groped for some kind of leverage as she stood on her shaking legs. Pearl remained by the door, her hand resting against it, her head bowed.  
  
  
Amethyst took a worried step towards Pearl, uncertain of how she would react. She gently set a hand on her shoulder and the vampire woman didn’t react beyond sagging her shoulder. “Pearl?”  
  
  
“A…are you okay?” Pearl asked, her voice coming out like a squeak.  
  
  
Amethyst turned Pearl towards her with force, grabbing her face in her hands and staring into her eyes. Pearl’s eyes were still bloodshot but her pupils were a normal size again and her irises had turned green once more. They still remained dark, however. The excessive red had slowly begun to drain from Pearl’s face, leaving her with her more healthy-looking peach shade. And her body, while still warm, was no longer burning hot. Pearl met Amethyst’s eyes for a moment, then averted them, too ashamed to hold the eye contact. Amethyst squeezed her shoulders, giving her a shake.  
  
  
“What the hell was that?!” she demanded. Pearl shrank back.  
  
  
“Did I hurt you?” she whispered. Amethyst felt her grip loosen.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
  
“Did I hurt you, Amethyst?” Pearl asked, her voice coming in stronger. Her eyes began to tear up. “I didn’t mean… I wasn’t…” She tried to describe her experience, but she realized it all sounded like excuses. She’d never had werewolf blood before. If she’d been smart, she would’ve indulged herself carefully, to see how she would react to it. She’d had strong reactions to blood before, but never to such a degree. She’d become intoxicated and she was still feeling it, uncomfortably buzzing inside her. She shrugged Amethyst’s hands off her shoulders and turned with enough force to send Amethyst back against the wall. Pearl gasped, one hand clamping over her mouth while her other reached out.  
  
  
Amethyst winced, staring at Pearl. Pearl took a step back. “I… I’m so sorry…” she whimpered, her voice muffled behind her hand. “I’m sorry, Amethyst!” She turned and ran from the kitchen. Amethyst righted herself and gave her head a shake.  
  
  
“Wait!” she called out to her. Pearl fled into the shadows and Amethyst heard her ascend the stairs. Amethyst gave chase. She was more confused than upset by the whole thing. She wanted to know what had happened. Amethyst reached the bottom of the stairs, stopped and looked up. Pearl hadn’t actually climbed the stairs, entirely. She was sitting with her knees up to her chest, on the ceiling above Amethyst’s head.

Amethyst stepped up on the stairs to get right underneath her and she gripped the banister, having to lean far back and crane her neck to see Pearl properly.  
  
  
“Okay, that’s not playing fair, now,” Amethyst complained, trying to lighten the mood a little. “I can’t climb up onto the ceiling with you… Maybe I can jump.” She bent her knees and tried to jump up and made it all of a few inches off the step. When she landed again, she lost her footing and tumbled backwards down the stairs, landing on her back at the bottom. Pearl noticed and she sat more openly, behaving on the ceiling as if she were sitting on the floor.  
  
  
“Amethyst? Are you alright?!” she gasped. She pushed off from the ceiling and drifted down, landing next to Amethyst on her feet. She stooped down, helping her up. Amethyst groaned and cupped the back of her head.  
  
  
“Lucky I got such a hard head,” she said, grinning. Pearl frowned and let go of her. She turned from her but Amethyst tried to follow her. “Hey, c’mon. Can you just _talk_ to me?”  
  
  
“What can I say?” Pearl asked, sadly. “What I did was… horrible.”  
  
  
“What do you mean? It was good!”  
  
  
“Oh, stop. Stop it,” Pearl said, harshly. “Look at your shirt, it’s ripped in half and- oh! Oh no, are those from _me_?” She pointed to the bite marks lining Amethyst’s breasts and chest. Amethyst glanced down, then pulled the shirt closed to cover it.  
  
  
“It’s not a big deal.”  
  
  
“Yes it is! I was much too rough with you, I lost control of myself.”  
  
  
“You’re taking it way too hard,” Amethyst replied, waving it off. “It was freaky but… I kind of liked it!”  
  
  
“How could you like that? I was behaving like I was an animal!” Pearl cried, on the verge of tears again.  
  
  
Amethyst pouted, then reached to touch Pearl’s hand. “It’s seriously fine, okay? Just tell me what happened…” She put her hands on Pearl’s face. “I know that’s not how you normally act. What was it? Too much blood in your system? Did you get blood-drunk?”  
  
  
Pearl blushed. “I think it was _your_ blood, in particular.”  
  
  
“Like because I’m not human? I mean, not totally human, my blood had some kind of weird effect?” Amethyst asked. Pearl wasn’t paying full attention. She was pouting and gently, worriedly rubbing her thumb over the puncture wounds in Amethyst’s neck. She began to tear up again.  
  
  
“I bit so deeply,” she wailed, withdrawing her hand and covering her mouth again. “I’m so sorry…”  
  
  
“Pearl! I hardly felt it. I swear!”  
  
  
Pearl covered her eyes and began to sob.  
  
  
“Nooo!” Amethyst complained, trying to pry Pearl’s hands off her face. “C’mon, it’s fine! It’s okay, see? I’m fine! I’m fine!”  
  
  
“I’m a monster…” Pearl whimpered.  
  
  
“You’re not, no… aw…” Amethyst tried to hug Pearl’s head to her chest, a thing that was difficult to do with Pearl’s hands up. “I get a bit crazy on the full moon. I get it. There’s stuff you can’t always fully control.”  
  
  
“I should be _able_ to control it,” Pearl said, sadly. “I’ve spent years trying to control myself.”  
  
  
Amethyst perked up. “How many years?” she asked.  
  
  
Pearl gave her a suffering look. “Why does that matter?”  
  
  
“Because… I dunno…” Amethyst let go of Pearl and looked down, awkwardly. She shrugged. “I just feel like I don’t know anything about you.”  
  
  
Pearl reacted with surprise. Not by the statement itself; she knew it was true. She’d never had a burning desire to share details about herself with any of her previous lovers. But Amethyst’s interest in her had given her pause. She was used to a few questions, usually vague enough to vaguely answer. But most human women had little interest in Pearl beyond what she could do for them and they had all been uncomplicated and mutually beneficial relationships. She’d never had any of them lament over not knowing enough about her to satisfy their curiosity.   
  
  
“What would you be happy to know?” Pearl asked.  
  
  
“Well…” Amethyst trailed off, unsure of what to ask when put on the spot. “How long have you… I mean… How long have you been a vampire?”  
  
  
Pearl smirked, faintly. “Are you trying to ask me how old I am, Amethyst?”  
  
  
“Come on, that’s not a personal question when you’re immortal, is it?”  
  
  
“Hmm…” Pearl tapped her chin. “How old do I look?”  
  
  
“Not a day over 95,” Amethyst answered with a grin. Pearl giggled.  
  
  
“Aren’t you sweet.”  
  
  
“Tell me though, come on,” Amethyst insisted, nudging Pearl.  
  
  
“Fine, fine!” Pearl laughed. “You’re so insistent. I’m… goodness… I suppose I’m almost 180, now.”  
  
  
Amethyst whistled. “It’s super not obvious. You’ve got youthful hands.”  
  
  
Pearl snickered. “You flatterer. How old are you?”  
  
  
“Guess!”  
  
  
“Nineteen.”  
  
  
Amethyst burst out laughing. “You _wish_ , you pervert!”  
  
  
Pearl puffed out her cheeks, pouting. “Am I close?”  
  
  
“You’re off by about seventy years.”  
  
  
Pearl gasped. “You’re that old?!”  
  
  
“I told you I don’t age!”  
  
  
“Yes, but… I didn’t realize… It didn’t register with me.” Pearl looked thoughtful. “So then, you weren’t really a virgin?”  
  
  
“Of course you’d go there right away,” Amethyst said with a snort. She exhaled. “Yes, I was a virgin.”  
  
  
“I’m so honored I was your first,” Pearl said, touched. Amethyst rolled her eyes.  
  
  
“You don’t have to say it like that. No one else was ever interested in me. You’re the first one who ever even tried. It’s not like I was saving myself for someone special.”  
  
  
“Oh…”  
  
  
Amethyst backpedaled immediately. “I-I mean! It was special! _You’re_ special! I just… I mean, we’d just met, we’re _still_ meeting each other, it’s… complicated!”  
  
  
Pearl held up a hand. “I understand,” she assured Amethyst. She glanced down at Amethyst’s exposed chest, sighing to herself and shaking her head. “I still can’t believe I was such a brute. Are you sure everything’s alright?”  
  
  
“I’m positive. I’m tough,” Amethyst answered, flexing her arms. She fingered the tattered fabric hanging off of her chest. “But uh, I guess I’ll need some new clothes…”  
  
  
“Yes,” Pearl giggled. “But we really should be asleep right now.” She held out her hand to Amethyst and Amethyst took it. The two of them ascended the stairs together.  
  
  
In the bedroom, Pearl smoothed out the sheets and fluffed the pillows. Amethyst undressed and decided to just sleep au natural, figuring it would be appreciated by Pearl. Pearl glanced up at her as she was adjusting the curtains, and she smiled mischievously. “I could find you something else to wear,” she offered.  
  
  
Amethyst grinned and she stretched out on her belly, posing on the bed. “Everyone is born naked. It’s the most natural way to sleep.”  
  
  
“Well if that’s the case…” Pearl said, slipping out of her nightgown and joining Amethyst on the bed. She knelt next to her, leaning over her. Amethyst glanced away. “What’s the matter?”  
  
  
“Lie down?” Amethyst asked.  
  
  
Pearl dropped onto her back on the bed, lying supine. “Like this?” she asked, looking mildly bemused.  
  
  
Amethyst reached out and traced her fingertip down the middle of Pearl’s torso, along a raised line. Pearl giggled, but when she realized what path Amethyst’s finger was following, her expression darkened and she abruptly rolled onto her stomach.  
  
  
“That’s a scar, isn’t it?” Amethyst asked.  
  
  
Pearl was ready to form a denial, but she thought better of it. Instead, she resisted her first instinct to hide it, and decided to be truthful. She rolled back onto her back, sitting up. It wasn’t visible in the dim light, but Pearl had been careless, not expecting that Amethyst would notice something so subtle. Pearl touched her hand to the scar. It didn’t feel like anything. Time and healing had rendered it all but invisible on her normally alabaster skin. But it was still slightly raised. Such a slight, barely perceivable scar to commemorate one of her most traumatic experiences.  
  
  
Pearl lowered her gaze to the sheets. “It is.”  
  
  
“Who did that to you?” Amethyst asked.  
  
  
Pearl shook her head, crawling under the covers of the bed. “I… I don’t want to talk about this right now, Amethyst.”  
  
  
“Okay…” Amethyst agreed. She didn’t want to push Pearl. She was of course curious, but she didn’t think her curiosity being satiated was more important than Pearl’s comfort. So she let it be.  
  
  
Although she was worried that Pearl was angry with her, those fears vanished when Pearl held her arms out towards Amethyst. Amethyst moved into Pearl’s awaiting embrace.  
  
  
“Get some sleep, Pet…” Pearl murmured as she relaxed with Amethyst in her arms.  
  
  
“Yeah. Sleep well…” Amethyst answered, her voice soft. 


	6. Pre Moonlight Syndrome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Snake DEATH. Also this chapter seems really short even though it's not really. Don't get used to this kind of publishing schedule, I only update when I feel inspired to write and right now I feel inspired to write!

“They still burning witches here?” Bismuth inquired when she and Garnet arrived back in town as the sun was just beginning to set.

“Mm… they tried to burn a witch, once,” Garnet remarked as they walked down the streets to the inn. “But she was fire proof.” Garnet flashed Bismuth a grin.

“Heh! That must’ve been a sight!” Bismuth laughed, giving Garnet’s back a slap. “Oh. Speaking of fire…” She pointed down the road and Garnet looked over. There was a small group of townsfolk clustered together and marching down the street. The mob was being led by a woman Garnet recognized as the butcher she frequently purchased blood from. A buff and aggressive woman by the name of Jasper. She was holding a lit torch, as were most of the cohort, and many were carrying guns.

“Wait here,” Garnet said to Bismuth, leaving her by the entrance to the inn so she could approach the mob and stand in front of them.

“Jasper,” she spoke, addressing the woman in the front.

“Just stay out of the way,” came the gruff response. Jasper shoved Garnet aside. Garnet followed alongside her, regardless.

“You can’t shoot this thing,” Garnet whispered.

“We’re not gonna shoot it, we’re gonna set traps.”

“This is a lycan, I’m almost certain of it. Do you know what a lycan is?”

“It attacked someone,” Jasper spoke through grit teeth.

“While you were off doing god knows what, a child was attacked and killed by the beast!” one of the men shouted from the back of the crowd.

“You’re supposed to keep this town protected, witch. You said you’d fix this!”

Garnet reeled back, stunned. “A child was killed?” she asked.

“An hour ago,” one of the hunters spoke up, his voice low. “Reverend Fairbell’s little girl…”

Garnet gripped the corner of her cloak. It had escalated so quickly, already. With everyone’s eyes on her, she felt frozen, unable to come up with words that would appease the mob. Their faces grew angrier as she stood in silence.

“The witch can’t help us!” someone declared.

“Hey!” Bismuth was suddenly next to Garnet, a hand on her shoulder. She scowled at the crowd. “I know it feels good to get a mob going, but you’re all gonna get yourselves killed out there if you haven’t got a strategy.”   
  
“And who are _you_ supposed to be?” Jasper sneered. “We can’t wait around for more people to die. We have to act!”   
  
The crowd cheered in response. Jasper put a hand on her hip, glaring at Bismuth and Jasper. “Unless either of you want to join up with us, stand down. Because we’re gonna find this thing.”   
  
“Oh yeah? And you do realize that the beast you’re after could be a member of this very hunting party?” Bismuth shot back.   
  
Jasper squinted and the rest of the crowd began to murmur in confusion and fear. “What do you mean?” Jasper asked.   
  
“It’s a lycan, like I said,” Garnet spoke up. “It’s a shapeshifting creature. A human bitten by another lycan. It can transform it’s body at will.”  
  
“You got any proof of that?” Jasper demanded.   
  
“Bismuth here, she’s hunted supernatural creatures for years,” Garnet explained, gesturing to her. Bismuth stepped forward and extended her hand to Jasper to shake it. Jasper didn’t react except to scowl.   
  
“Listen up. Guns? Fire? It’s useless on a lycan. They’re incredibly strong,” Bismuth explained. “And they’re virtually undetectable in human form.”  
  
“Well, how do we know anything you’re saying is true?” Jasper countered. She gave a nasty grin. “I’ve never seen _you_ in town before, and this has just started happening… so how do we know _you’re_ not a lycan?”   
  
“Bismuth,” Garnet said, turning to her friend. “Can you escort them through the woods?”   
  
Bismuth frowned. “You want me to join the mob?”   
  
“If they run into this beast, they’re going to need protection beyond what a gun will provide.” Garnet looked pleadingly at her.   
  
Bismuth rubbed the back of her head and she sighed. “Yeah, alright…” she relented. “But what are you gonna do?”   
  
“I’m going to speak with the Reverend, if he’ll see me,” Garnet replied. “And alert Pearl about what’s going on.”   
  
“Okay,” Bismuth agreed. “I’ll meet you back at the inn later on, I guess?”   
  
“Yes, if you wouldn’t mind. Be safe and bring these people back alive,” Garnet urged.   
  
“You don’t have to worry,” Bismuth assured her. She fell into stride with the mob as they moved past Garnet, on their way to the edge of town and the entrance to the woods. “I doubt a lycan’s gonna want anything to do with a cambion.”   
  
\--  
  
Amethyst slept restlessly, awakening numerous times during the day to toss and turn or pace. A few times, she left the bedroom entirely to walk back and forth down the hallway. She didn’t see the point in bothering Pearl’s sleep just because she wasn’t able to sleep. It wasn’t unusual for her. She always felt restless and agitated the night before the full moon. She’d always resented how much of her life seemed to revolve around her monthly transformation.   
  
Had she been alone and still traveling around, it would’ve been the time when she hid herself away in the forest, away from civilization. To her knowledge, there had only been one time when someone had stumbled across her when she’d been fully transformed. It had been the first time she’d ever done it, on the first full moon after her twenty first birthday. Her mother had warned her of it for years and Amethyst hadn’t taken the warnings as seriously as she could have.   
  
When she’d transformed, it had initially been a freeing moment. She’d run through the forest with more energy and excitement than she’d ever experienced before. She’d felt so constrained as a human woman and in her village she’d been such a misfit. But outside, where she was more wolf than woman, she felt completely free. Like she’d finally discovered who she truly was.   
  
That feeling had been tainted with guilt, following that first night. Even though she was relatively young for an immortal creature, her lifespan still falling within human limits, her world had begun to shrink in her lifetime. The edges of the towns and settlements began to edge into the woods. The untamed lands had begun to break apart, bordered by humans. It became harder and harder to avoid them. And although that day was still a long ways off, Amethyst did fear that one day she wouldn’t have anywhere to hide when the moonlight fever took hold of her.  
  
No one had witnessed her the night before the full moon for decades. Not since her first transformation. It was usually a time she spent in solitude, preceding the transformation itself. And Amethyst thought it was probably for good reason. She was feeling progressively more feral and the walls of the house felt like they were closing in on her. She had too much energy in her muscles and an insatiable hunger in her belly. It was no wonder that Pearl had reacted to her blood in such a way. Amethyst could feel it, herself.   
  
When Pearl awoke right at dusk, as she always did, she was startled to see Amethyst hunched over at the foot of the bed, perched on the bedpost. She was mostly in shadow, still completely nude and aggressively chewing her fingernail. Pearl sat up slowly, holding the bedsheets against her chest. Pearl had once again faded back to the snow-white pallor that she’d had when Amethyst had first met her, although her human coloring would again be restored the next time she fed.   
  
“Good… evening…” Pearl greeted, uneasily. She was aware that the next night would be the full moon, but Amethyst hadn’t mentioned any behavioural changes to be expected from her leading up to it. It made Pearl wish she’d ever bothered to learn anything about werewolves. Now she had no choice but to get hands-on experience.   
  
“Evening,” Amethyst answered, her voice low and raspier than usual. She raised her head. Her dark eyes focused on Pearl. “Hungry.”  
  
“Me too,” Pearl agreed. “We’ll get some food in you.” She carefully got out of the bed. Amethyst watched her intently and Pearl felt uncharacteristically self conscious under her gaze. She was stark naked, after all. She moved like a shadow to the bedroom door and gently pushed it open, bringing in some of the candlelight from the hallway into the room. “We should get some clothes on, though. Come, Pet.”   
  
Pearl held her arm out to Amethyst and Amethyst stared a moment before she hopped off the bed and hobbled over to her. She wasn’t on all fours, but her posture was a bit more hunched and her knees were bent slightly. Pearl took the moment to check her over. She hadn’t transformed at all, that Pearl could see. But her behavior was certainly different.  
  
They walked down the hall together towards Pearl’s room, hand in hand. Pearl observed that Amethyst’s skin felt warmer than usual, but she assumed it was normal. They arrived in her room and Pearl went about finding clothes to wear for them. With her guest, the laundry had been piling up faster than usual and she cast a glance at the pile of soiled clothes that was almost overflowing in the laundry hamper. She’d have to take them to be washed, soon. She had many clothes, but most of them were so outdated and dusty, they weren’t worth wearing. She didn’t want to look like an old relic. She was still a young vampire.   
  
Pearl turned back to Amethyst to find her gone and she snapped her head around, seeing the woman squatting on her haunches atop the coffin lid. “Did you want me to pick something out for you or did you want to pick?” Pearl asked.   
  
“No clothes.”  
  
“What?” Pearl frowned. “Amethyst, you can’t just walk around the house naked. What if you catch a cold?”   
  
“Clothes are itchy,” Amethyst answered. “No clothes.”   
  
“What about a bath? That might make you less itchy.”  
  
“No.”   
  
Pearl sighed. “Alright…” She picked out an outfit for herself. She wondered if Garnet would be by that night. She hoped so. She was still curious about the beast roaming the woods. Whenever there was any sort of calamity in town, the superstitious townsfolk tended to point the finger at Candlewood, and Pearl herself. When times were peaceful, she could move freely around the town any only had a few distrustful looks from locals to worry about. But whenever times were turbulent, her presence was met with outright hostility, jeers and sometimes violence.   
  
Garnet, for whatever reason, had always been able to moderate the townsfolk and calm their tempers. She was as good of a PR person as Pearl could’ve hoped for. Few townspeople would knowingly live so close to a vampire and the fact that they mostly left Pearl alone was a testament to how good Garnet was at keeping the harmony.  
  
“You shouldn’t wear clothes either,” Amethyst stated as she watched Pearl dress herself.   
  
“Garnet could stop by,” Pearl answered over her shoulder. Once she’d dressed, Pearl turned to face Amethyst. “You’d really be alright with Garnet seeing you naked?”   
  
Amethyst shrugged.   
  
“Well maybe _I’m_ not alright with that,” Pearl said.   
  
Amethyst blinked a couple times, looking surprised. Then she scoffed. “I don’t think seeing me like this is gonna set Garnet’s loins aflame.” She spoke in a mocking, affected voice, presumably to poke fun at Pearl’s manner of speaking.   
  
“It could,” Pearl protested, feebly. She pouted. Personally, she thought Amethyst was unignorably stunning, but she was learning that she was in the minority on that opinion. “Here, what if you wore this? It’s nice and loose fitting, the fabric is very soft and-”  
  
“Noooo!” Amethyst whined. “I wanna go outside.”   
  
“I thought you were hungry?” Pearl asked.   
  
Amethyst grinned at her.   
  
\--  
  
The night was clear and the rain had stopped long enough for the ground to dry a little. Pearl was grateful for that as she walked behind Amethyst, being led out behind the house. Amethyst seemed to have a destination in mind as she ran, unbothered by the cold night air on her bare skin, or the muddy ground on her feet. Pearl wasn’t typically bothered by fluctuating seasonal temperatures but she’d thrown a cloak overtop of her clothes on the chance that Amethyst would get chilled and need to use it.   
  
Pearl was uneasy knowing that Amethyst was wandering around the grounds of Candlewood like she’d already done so. She’d obviously walked around when she’d been locked out that morning. Pearl hoped she hadn’t seen anything too upsetting. There was evidence of Candlewood’s dark past all around them, difficult to dismantle because of the sheer amount of silver that could be found all over the grounds. But there were also things that tended to manifest on the grounds, drawn in by the dark energy it gave off.  
  
“Where exactly are we going?” Pearl asked. She was holding a lantern to light her path and to try and keep Amethyst within her line of sight. “There’s nothing out here.”  
  
She noticed Amethyst had stopped and Pearl approached her, seeing the woman crouching next to the chicken coop and peering inside with interest. Pearl was confused. Amethyst reached behind her and towards Pearl without looking away, opening and closing her hand.   
  
“Gimme the lantern,” she said.   
  
Pearl handed it to her, still confused. Amethyst took it and thrust it right into the entrance of the chicken coop, waiting. A second later, a long black snake wriggled out into the light. Pearl gasped. Before she could say anything, Amethyst grabbed the creature right around the head, where it couldn’t bite her. She lifted it off the ramp it had slithered down and held it up. Pearl watched, her hand touching her mouth.   
  
The snake opened its jaws and writhed in Amethyst’s grip. And then in a swift movement, Amethyst brought it to her mouth and bit its head off. It was so fast and abrupt that Pearl almost didn’t register it until Amethyst spit the head onto the ground at Pearl’s feet. Pearl jumped back as the snake head continued to open and shut its jaws and use the movement to propel itself a few inches along the ground. It quickly went still.   
  
Pearl’s attention went back to Amethyst and the woman was already ripping into the snake’s guts, gleefully consuming its flesh and licking its blood off her fingertips. Pearl just watched, stunned. Amethyst tore into it with her teeth, messily eating while she crouched on the ground. She glanced up at Pearl as she was chewing and held out a piece of the snake to her. “Want some?”   
  
Pearl made a face. “I could’ve made you some better food than a snake,” she said.  
  
“It’s gotta be _alive_. It’s gotta be _fresh_ ,” Amethyst answered. “I didn’t see any other animals around so…” She shrugged. She continued to hold out the snake meat to Pearl and Pearl put up a hand to decline it.   
  
“No thank you,” she mumbled.   
  
“Okay, but it’s pretty good,” Amethyst answered. She resumed eating and then went fishing for another, using the lantern as a lure. Pearl continued to watch in fascination. With a sigh, Pearl joined Amethyst on the ground, sitting cross-legged next to her.  
  
“Well, I suppose since this counts as dinner, I may as well,” Pearl said. She reached into her cloak pocket where she’d stashed a bottle of blood and she pulled the cork out, taking a swig. Amethyst happily chomped away on snake meat while Pearl drank.  
  
“So this is what you’re like when the full moon is about to happen,” the vampire observed. The moon had only just started to rise, but Pearl could see it from their vantage point as it began to rise above the shadowed trees. It was large and orange. It was prettiest when it was rising, Pearl thought.   
  
“Yeah, I’m actually a bit better after I change,” Amethyst answered between bites. She seemed ravenous and had already left three mangled snake carcasses in a pile nearby while working on a fourth. “This is the worst night for me because it feels like I need to burst outta my skin, but I _can’t_.”   
  
Pearl finished her bottle of blood and set aside, wishing she’d brought a second with her. Again, Amethyst offered her a snake. “It’s goooood,” Amethyst coaxed, giving it a shake under her nose.   
  
Pearl awkwardly took the creature and held it up. It didn’t surprise her that the only animals Amethyst could readily find around the house would be black snakes. With a sigh, Pearl let her fangs come out and she plunged them into the creature’s body, sucking it dry in a matter of seconds. She smacked her lips together, musing over the taste.   
  
“Yum?” Amethyst asked.   
  
“It’s alright,” Pearl answered, smiling.   
  
Eventually, Amethyst’s hunger seemed satiated. She dropped onto her back with a satisfied sigh. “That hit the spot.”   
  
Pearl lied on her back as well, clasping her hands over her stomach. She stared up at the clear night sky, and the glittering blanket of stars above them. It would’ve struck her as romantic if she hadn’t just witnessed Amethyst lay waste to half a dozen snakes.  
  
“How d’you know when Garnet comes if you’re outside?” Amethyst asked.   
  
“I’ll know,” Pearl answered without explaining it further.   
  
“Who’s the stone angel in the yard over there?” Amethyst asked, gesturing the direction of the graves. Pearl winced, wishing desperately that she’d accompanied Amethyst to the outhouse.  
  
Pearl closed her eyes. “Amethyst…” she said, her voice carrying a faintly warning tone.  
  
“I won’t ask any more questions!” Amethyst promised.   
  
“The stone angel isn’t anyone. The inscription used to read, ‘ _Pulvis et umbra sumus_.’ But it’s started to wear away… It was just there for… everyone.”   
  
“Who’s everyone?” Amethyst asked.   
  
Pearl had noticed that Amethyst seemed much less inhibited than she usually was, presumably because of her almost-full moon state of mind. But since it brought questions with it, Pearl wasn’t sure she liked it. “Every soul that this wretched house has claimed,” Pearl answered, bitterly.   
  
“Looked like a lot,” Amethyst observed. “Lots of bodies.”  
  
“There aren’t any bodies,” Pearl replied. She exhaled slowly. “The graves are just markers. Memories. No remains.” She sat up. “Garnet’s coming,” she said. “She’s about to cross the moat. We should go to meet her.”  
  
Amethyst sat up as well. “Oh. Okay.”   
  
“Will you at least wear this?” Pearl pleaded, slipping out of her cloak and handing it to Amethyst. Amethyst hesitated, then took it from her. She put it on.  
  
\--  
  
Garnet stepped up to the front door of the house, knowing Pearl would be there to greet her. She was in a sombre mood, unsure how to break the news to Pearl and Amethyst about what was going on. Her eyes were lowered to the ground as she walked slowly, candles lighting automatically in her path to cut through the shadows of the night. As she stopped at the front step, something caught her eye and she turned to look. Growing right next to the house, was a single flower.   
  
It was much too late in the year for flowers and much too cold, yet it was there, looking healthy and vibrant. Garnet didn’t know her flowers all that well so she wasn’t able to identify the type. But it was a deep shade of coral with five large petals. Garnet had never seen a flower growing on the grounds of Candlewood before. There were skinny evergreen trees, weeds and vines, but never flowers. The sight of one, unnatural as it looked, made Garnet smile softly.   
  
“Interesting…” she murmured, feeling her mood improve just a little. “Very interesting, Pearl.”  
  
Garnet stepped up to the front door but she didn’t even have to knock. It opened for her and Garnet stepped into the foyer, Pearl approaching her immediately. Garnet could tell that Pearl had just fed because her skin tone was bright and peach-hued and her eyes were darker. She also had a bit more energy in her step. She greeted Garnet with a smile and a brief hug that Garnet returned.   
  
“Good to see you,” Pearl said. “I thought you might visit, tonight.” She glanced over Garnet’s shoulder at the open door and it closed behind them. “Was there any… trouble?”   
  
“Oh, there’s been trouble tonight,” Garnet answered as she unclasped her cloak. Pearl took it from her to hang it up on a nearby coatrack. “I had to call in Bismuth for reinforcements.”   
  
Pearl gasped and she excitedly clapped her hands together. “Bismuth is here?!” she exclaimed. She looked around Garnet, as if expecting to see Bismuth pop out from behind her. “Where is she? Why didn’t you bring her along?”  
  
“She’s with a hunting party,” Garnet replied. “They’re determined to catch this thing, but they won’t have much luck. Bismuth thinks the beast in the forest is…” Garnet paused, taking notice of Amethyst sitting on top of the steps leading up to the two wings. She was wrapped in a cloak, eyeing Garnet intensely. “…Bismuth thinks it’s a lycan.”   
  
“A lycan?” Pearl asked. She frowned and looked over at Amethyst. “That’s like a werewolf, isn’t it?”   
  
“Sure. In the way a housecat is like a tiger,” Garnet stated.   
  
Amethyst scowled.   
  
“Does that mean anything to you, Amethyst?” Pearl asked, turning to look at the woman who was keeping her distance. Amethyst didn’t speak. She wasn’t focused on Pearl, but on Garnet. Her eyes bore into her. “Amethyst!”  
  
Amethyst’s focus returned to Pearl and she briefly broke eye contact with Garnet. “Yeah, I know what a lycan is,” she said, sounding irritated.   
  
“Does that make sense?” Pearl pressed. “Would a lycan scare you like that?”   
  
“I dunno, maybe.” Amethyst didn’t seem especially cooperative and Pearl felt herself becoming frustrated. She looked back to Garnet, apologetically. “I’m sorry, Garnet. It’s the night before the full moon. She’s not feeling herself.”  
  
“That’s alright,” Garnet answered.   
  
Pearl invited Garnet into the lounge area of the house, where she’d already stoked a fire and had a bottle of wine to offer her guest. Amethyst remained at the top of the stairs until they’d walked off, then rushed down to join them. She hovered around in the room while Pearl took a few minutes to play hostess, offering Garnet a drink and pouring a glass of wine for her. When Pearl finally took a seat on the sofa across from Garnet, Amethyst immediately joined Pearl and settled in next to her, pressed right up against her body. She continued to stare at Garnet.  
  
Garnet didn’t appear intimidated by Amethyst’s aggressive staring. She reclined on the chair and took a sip of her wine. “It’s already made a kill,” Garnet explained. “A human girl from the town.”   
  
“Oh no,” Pearl whispered.   
  
“I went to see her parents this evening before I came here,” Garnet continued. She looked grim. “The body was… very badly mangled.”   
  
“I’ve never heard of a lycan coming anywhere near here,” Pearl said. “Why now?”  
  
“It’s possible that it’s someone passing through, perhaps they trailed Amethyst,” Garnet explained. “Or it’s someone in town who’s reacting to having a werewolf in their territory.”   
  
“So what you’re saying is that it’s my fault,” Amethyst grumbled. “I’ve never even met a lycan! I didn’t bring it here!”   
  
“Amethyst!” Pearl chided, sternly. “No one’s saying you did anything wrong, just be still.”   
  
Amethyst scowled.   
  
“No matter what the reason, Bismuth thinks that’s the identity of this beast.”  
  
“Well, alright,” Pearl said, impatiently. “So how do we kill it?”   
  
“If it came to that, there are only two known ways that Bismuth explained to me,” Garnet said. She inhaled. “Pulling the spine out of its body… that’s one option. The second option would be to cleanly decapitate it. And that goes for when it’s in human form as well.”  
  
“Not very elegant solutions,” Pearl sighed. “But that’s fine. I’m not afraid of this thing.”   
  
“Lycans don’t like werewolves. They compete for the same prey and territory,” Garnet added. “So Amethyst could be at risk. It’s possible the lycan knows her identity already. That would explain why it’s come so close to Candlewood.”  
  
“But I’m not like that!” Amethyst protested, angrily. “I don’t have _prey_ or whatever! I don’t have territories! I’m not even like a regular werewolf! I’m just…” She sighed, in frustration. “A housecat.”  
  
Pearl frowned but she said nothing.   
  
“I don’t think the lycan will be active tonight, knowing there’s a mob after it right now,” Garnet said. “But I don’t want to say it’s completely safe. We have to lure it out. And Amethyst… right now you seem to be the thing it wants.”   
  
“So I’m bait?” Amethyst asked, scowling.   
  
“No, not bait. But you’re going to transform tomorrow night, near a town that’s on the look out for a beast. I don’t think the townspeople will know the difference between a werewolf and a lycan. You could be seriously hurt tomorrow night.”   
  
“I’m not afraid of a stupid fucking lycan,” Amethyst spat. “Just let it come at me, I’ll bite its head off like it’s a snake!”  
  
“Are you hearing yourself?” Pearl asked in disbelief. “You were terrified of it! You need to stay inside tomorrow night. At least here, you’re safe.”   
  
Amethyst shook her head. “I can’t stay, no way! I have to be outside when I transform or I’ll go crazy!”   
  
“I don’t care!” Pearl shot back. “You’re staying put! You’re not going out into the woods by yourself to get shot by a hunter or mauled by a lycan, absolutely not!”  
  
“I can avoid humans, that’s not a big deal for me!” Amethyst snapped. “And I can _feel_ when the lycan is nearby so I can avoid that, too!”   
  
“Amethyst, I really think you should listen to Pearl,” Garnet interjected.   
  
Amethyst got to her feet, although she had the sense to hold the cloak closed at least. “You guys are trying to gang up on me!” she accused. “I’m not staying in here tomorrow night! I was _never_ planning to do that!”   
  
“Stop getting so emotional!” Pearl cried, getting to her feet as well. She balled her hands into fists at her sides. “You’re not acting like yourself, you’re not thinking straight! Where’s all this bravado coming from all of a sudden? Do you think I want to see you getting hurt?”   
  
Amethyst laughed. “You’ll find yourself another toy like _that_ ,” she answered, snapping her fingers. Pearl looked outraged.   
  
“How… why you- agh! I can’t deal with you right now!” Pearl stomped off. “I’m going to walk around, I can’t… ooooh, you’re so- _childish_!” She dramatically swept out of the room and a few moments later, the front door opened and slammed shut. Garnet took another sip of her wine, unperturbed.   
  
Amethyst’s attention went back to Garnet and she bared her teeth. “As for you,” she spoke. Garnet glanced at her. Amethyst hopped off the couch and approached Garnet, trying to look intimidating. She leaned in close to Garnet, putting her hand on the couch behind her to brace herself. Garnet locked gazes with her. “Who do you think you are, comin’ in here, putting your hands on Pearl like that?” she demanded, her voice low.   
  
Garnet stared at her, not immediately sure of what she was talking about until she remembered that Pearl had hugged her at the door.   
  
“I know what you’re trying to do,” Amethyst hissed. “But you just better back off. You and… and this _Bismuth_. You tell her to back off, too. Both of you just stay away from Pearl, I mean it!”   
  
“I can’t speak for Bismuth, but I can assure you that my intentions with Pearl are not at all what you’re insinuating,” Garnet answered, coolly.   
  
“I don’t believe that,” Amethyst said, narrowing her eyes.   
  
“I realize that you’re not in your right mind at the moment, but you’re going to smother Pearl if you act this aggressively.”   
  
“What was that?” Amethyst demanded.   
  
“And you probably should learn to pick on someone your own size,” Garnet added.   
  
Amethyst reacted by trying to throw a punch but Garnet’s reaction was stronger and she blocked it with her arm. Throwing her arm out, she flung Amethyst back and Amethyst skidded across the floor. Garnet got to her feet.   
  
“Make no mistake, Amethyst,” Garnet said. “You’ve gotten closer to Pearl than I’ve ever seen anyone else get in a long, long time. I can already see evidence of things changing around here. But her past still has a hold on her, in ways you wouldn’t believe even if I tried to explain it to you.”  
  
Amethyst sat up. She didn’t try to attack again, but she glared. “You have to give her some time before you carelessly decide she’s your mate, or you’ll push her away. And if you want to be there for her, you’ll stay here tomorrow night and not be stupid.”  
  
Amethyst snarled at Garnet. Garnet finished her glass of wine while she stood on her feet, then turned from Amethyst. “Don’t be a fool, Amethyst.”   
  
Garnet went back to the front door to get her cloak. Amethyst followed her, keeping close but out of touching distance, while growling. Garnet opened the door and stepped out into the night. Amethyst followed her down the path a ways, but eventually she stopped and stood where she was, watching Garnet walk off. She paced back and forth in agitation for a few minutes even as Garnet was out of her sight. Eventually she felt a little calmer. Calm enough to look for Pearl.  
  
Amethyst dejectedly returned to the front of the house with a sigh. She spotted the flower that Garnet had noticed earlier and she crouched down close to it, having to kneel on the ground and place her palms on the soil in order to do so. She sniffed it. It wasn’t fragrant, but it had a fresh, lush scent that immediately made Amethyst yearning for spring. Did Pearl like flowers? Maybe Pearl liked flowers.   
  
Amethyst carefully pulled the flower out of the ground and got up, hoping to track down Pearl. She couldn’t have gotten far. At least, she hoped not.   
  
\--  
  
It was true that Pearl hadn’t left the Candlewood grounds, but she’d ventured beyond the point that Amethyst had gone, walking out into the field. She knew Garnet had gone, which saddened her. She’d felt so humiliated over Amethyst’s behaviour that it sent her temper flaring again.   
  
Amethyst had been so agreeable and tame right up until that night and Pearl hadn’t expected her to act out so rudely towards Garnet. Garnet was going to think Pearl didn’t know how to keep her pets disciplined. Garnet probably thought Pearl was too permissive with Amethyst, and spoiled her, and that’s why she was acting like that.   
  
The field stretched on as far as Pearl felt like walking, with nothing around her changing. She could faintly see the shapes of trees on all sides, but the house was no longer looming behind her when she turned to check. She’d never walked very far in that particular direction before, so she didn’t know where it led.   
  
Eventually she stopped. It wasn’t yet too late, and the fall season brought longer nights, but Pearl didn’t want to get caught somewhere when the sun came up. She sat where she was, kneeling on the ground.   
  
After a few minutes, Pearl’s sensitive ears began to pick up the sound of approaching footsteps. Someone was running towards her. It could’ve only been Amethyst; there wasn’t anyone else on the property. She waited with her back to Amethyst and then had the wind knocked out of her when Amethyst tackled her from behind.  
  
Pearl gasped and managed to roll onto her back. “Amethyst! What on earth!?”   
  
“I’m sorry,” Amethyst said, right away. She sat on Pearl’s hips and Pearl frowned up at her.   
  
“It’s fine, Amethyst… but you need to get a better handle on yourself if this is what you’re like,” Pearl groused. She wasn’t exactly angry at Amethyst. She couldn’t exactly judge her about having difficulty controlling herself. But even so, she was still worried about what Garnet thought of it all. And of course, she didn’t like that Amethyst was rude to her friend. “You’ve met Garnet already, so why were you so aggressive with her?”  
  
Amethyst sighed. “I dunno, I saw you hugging and I got…”   
  
“Are you serious?” Pearl cried. She put her hands over her eyes, sighing. “Amethyst…”  
  
“I won’t do it again! I’m sorry!” Amethyst pleaded. “Look, I brought you this!” She handed Pearl the flower, looking apologetic.   
  
Pearl sat up, causing Amethyst to slide off her hips. “Amethyst, you can’t just give me a flower and expect me to- where did you even _get_ this?” She looked closely at the flower and then back at Amethyst.   
  
“Uh… it was just growing outside the front step,” Amethyst answered. “I thought it was weird that it was growing at this time of year but I guess it hasn’t been too cold yet, and we did get a lot of rain.”   
  
“Hm…” Pearl examined it and then slipped it into her hair, behind her ear. “I’m still not very impressed with you right now, you realize. What will you be like tomorrow night? You _are_ staying here, by the way. If I have to tie you to the bed.”   
  
Amethyst hung her head. “Okay,” she agreed. She gave Pearl a little smile. “I’ll apologize to Garnet, too. I just… I’ve never actually had to like, socialize or interact with anyone on this night, before. So I never really knew how I was. I always just went off into the woods.”  
  
“You’re not a toy,” Pearl said, abruptly.   
  
Amethyst blinked. “What?”  
  
“I don’t see you as a toy, you’re not some… toy,” Pearl pouted. She blushed, something she was still capable of doing since she’d fed only a while ago. She looked away from Amethyst. “We’re friends, I thought.”   
  
Amethyst’s expression softened. “Yeah, we are…” she agreed. She touched her forehead to Pearl’s.   
  
“We’re both immortals. I was so happy about that. I was so happy to know you wouldn’t just… wither away.”  
  
“I was happy about that, too,” Amethyst agreed. “Once I knew you didn’t hate me or want me dead for being a werewolf.”  
  
“I honestly think the werewolf-vampire rivalry is incredibly overblown,” Pearl said with a huff. “I don’t have any natural hatred for werewolves.”  
  
“It’s probably overblown, yeah,” Amethyst murmured. She affectionately nuzzled into Pearl’s neck and Pearl sighed and stroked her head.   
  
“I really don’t want anything to happen to you…” Pearl whispered. “I’m very fond of you.”  
  
“Yeah?” Amethyst asked.   
  
“Bismuth and Garnet want us to lay low at least until the full moon night has passed. But I want to rip that lycan limb from limb for tormenting you.”  
  
“I’ll stay at the house tomorrow night,” Amethyst promised. But as she said that, she wasn’t sure it was a promise she could keep. She’d never had to restrain herself when she was transformed, before. She wasn’t sure if she could.   
  
“Stay tomorrow night, and we’ll come up with some other activities to keep you occupied,” Pearl promised, her voice taking on a suggestive tone.  
  
“Ohh trust me, you wouldn’t like me when I’m transformed.”  
  
“Why not? The way you described it, it didn’t sound so bad,” Pearl said.  
  
“Heh… you’ll see tomorrow night, I guess,” Amethyst teased. Pearl chuckled.   
  
“I suppose I will.” They both got to their feet. Pearl set her hand on top of Amethyst’s head. “But trust me, Amethyst. As long as you’re near this house, nothing will do you harm. That’s my promise. Nothing sets foot on these grounds unless I allow it.”  
  
“What? The drawbridge thing?” Amethyst asked with a snort. “I think if someone really wanted to, they could cross that dinky little moat with or without the bridge.”   
  
“Hmm… not just the drawbridge,” Pearl said, smirking. She tapped the end of Amethyst’s nose. “Just trust me. You’re safe here. As long as you’re here.”  
  
“Then I’ll stay,” Amethyst promised. They walked back to the house together under the stars, hand in hand. 


	7. The night before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sex gets a little more out there in this chapter, as Pearl demonstrates her vampire shapeshifting abilities.

“Amethyst… can you tell me… tomorrow night. Is there anything I can do to make it easier on you?”

Pearl and Amethyst had returned to the house and were sitting together in the dark with the fire going. Pearl was reclined against the couch, one arm resting along the back of it behind Amethyst’s head. She’d swapped out her clothes for something more comfortable; a black satin housecoat lined with red that Amethyst had called ‘clingy’. Amethyst sat next to her, with both of them sharing a blanket.

“What d’ya mean?” Amethyst asked.

“Well, is there something you like to do when you’re a werewolf? I don’t want to make you feel restrained.”

Amethyst had continued to refuse clothes due to her complaints about it being itchy and restrictive. Since they were alone and Amethyst seemed warmer than usual, Pearl didn’t keep protesting it. But it made it difficult to talk to her because Pearl’s eye kept being drawn downwards, to her round, cute breasts, or the pooch of her belly, or the alluring curves of her hips and thighs. Pearl couldn’t seem to leave her alone. She supposed she was just infatuated with Amethyst. At least the feeling seemed to be mutual. The blanket covered her enough, but Pearl knew just underneath the fabric, Amethyst’s body was hers for the taking.

“There’s nothing you can really do. Maybe just… gimme my space?”

“How so?” Pearl asked.

“I wanna just hide out in my room tomorrow night, I don’t really want you to see me,” Amethyst admitted.

Pearl looked disappointed. “Oh, but… we wouldn’t have to do anything… intimate. If you’re not comfortable. We could just talk. We could um… we could go outside and run around the grounds! They go a long ways.”

“If I say no, will you be really upset?” Amethyst asked. She’d initially been willing, but with the moon changing position in the sky as the night went on, she could feel some of her initial energy and wolfishness beginning to fade, as it always did. She hated how unstable she felt those two nights, and then usually how worn out and sick she felt in the day after the full moon. All in all, she had 72 hours in total where she didn’t feel the way she usually did.

“I want you to do what feels comfortable to you,” Pearl answered, honestly. “I won’t make you spend time with me tomorrow night if you don’t want to. I just thought maybe it would be nice to… share that with you.”

“Share what?”

“Well… I’ve shared a part of myself with you that I sometimes feel ashamed of,” Pearl spoke, softly. “I try to tell myself that being what I am doesn’t bother me, but the truth is that I was human once, and I was taught that vampires are soulless, undead demons.” She sighed. “I want to believe that isn’t true. I don’t want to think that the _real_ Pearl is dead and I’m just this… thing left in her place. I try to be a good person, I try to be gentle and not frighten anyone. But I’ve already turned monstrous twice in front of you. And somehow… being able to show you that part of me and not have you reject me... it’s made me feel relieved. And close to you.”

Amethyst stared in surprise and then she wrapped her arms around Pearl and rested her head against her shoulder. “I understand how it feels,” she murmured. “You’re not alone. Maybe… tomorrow night I’ll be okay with it. I keep changing my mind.”

“It’s up to you,” Pearl assured her. “I won’t insist you show yourself to me. I just don’t want you to feel alone or ashamed, that’s all… because there isn’t anything you can turn into tomorrow night that’s going to make me stop…” She trailed off and Amethyst raised her head to look at her, curiously. Pearl averted her eyes. “Wanting you here.”

Just knowing that Pearl was alright with it made Amethyst feel a bit better about the whole thing. She was embarrassed by her werewolf form, particularly after she’d learned just how unusual she was for a werewolf in terms of size and appearance. If she’d possessed any of the raw power, the bulk or the terror of a true werewolf, she’d probably have been alright with Pearl seeing it. But her particular strain of lycanthropy made it difficult to fit anywhere. She’d met other werewolves, and she was a laughing stock among them, cruelly called a runt or a pup. Other immortal creatures disliked her immediately because werewolves weren’t especially liked in general. Humans didn’t trust her and she didn’t really trust herself with humans. She was alone.

And that was why she wasn’t sure she wanted to do anything to turn Pearl off of her. She’d become so attached to her and so desperate to keep her interested in her, so that she wouldn’t suffer another rejection. Pearl had taken her in and given her so much. She’d experienced for the first time, a sense of unconditional care and acceptance. She couldn’t bear the thought of ruining it.

“I don’t think you’re a soulless demon, Pearl,” Amethyst said after a long pause. “You’re not dead, either. I can feel it. I mean…” She put her hand against Pearl’s chest. “You’ve got a heartbeat. It’s faint, but it’s there. You’ve got warmth. Not as much as a human, but there’s some heat coming off of you, even if it’s been hours since you fed.”

Pearl smiled softly.

“When you act like that, all… predator-y. I don’t see it as the mask slipping. It’s not the real you. It’s just a part of the real you. But this you is real, too. You’re just beautiful and complicated, like everyone else in the world.”

Pearl’s eyes were shining. Amethyst blushed but she resisted the urge to look away or laugh off her own words. She didn’t want to ruin the moment that seemed to matter so much to Pearl. Instead, she leaned in and kissed her. Just briefly and sweetly. She gazed into Pearl’s eyes. “I really wanna know all about you,” Amethyst continued.

Pearl exhaled. “Maybe with some time.”

“Yeah…” Amethyst murmured. She cuddled in again.

“Can I ask… how long you’ve been alone?”

“I dunno. Like, seventy years?” Amethyst offered. “I used to be normal, believe it or not. I grew up normally. I had friends. I lived in a little village at the foot of a mountain. I knew I was gonna change when I turned 21 but I thought I could handle it. I thought it would be okay, and I could still live there.”

“What about your parents?” Pearl asked.

Amethyst sighed. She pulled back from Pearl, looking uneasily at her. “When I said I had a dad, I was kind of lying,” she admitted. “Umm...” She blushed deeply and looked away from Pearl. “Oh god, uh… I don’t even know how to say this.” She took a deep breath. “All the werewolves in my family are girls. They’re only ever girls.”

“I don’t understand what you mean… are you saying your _mother_ was a werewolf?”

“My mom was human, just human. My other mom, she was a werewolf. But when she transforms… when I transform… I’m not… I don’t have uh…” Amethyst made some vague gesture. Pearl tilted her head.

“I have like… male… parts…” Amethyst said.

Pearl’s eyes went wide. “Really?” she gasped.

Amethyst nodded. “It’s just another weird… thing about me, I guess. B-but! I mean, only that one night every month! Every other time, I’m normal! You know, you’ve seen it!” She started to panic a little. “It doesn’t mean I’m actually a guy or anything!”

“I didn’t think you were…” Pearl said, confused. Her expression brightened and her eyes twinkled with fascination. “That’s so interesting, Amethyst. Granted, I don’t know much about werewolves but you seem so unique even among werewolves.”

Amethyst made a pained smile. “Unique, yeah. Guess that’s one way of looking at it.”

“How else would you put it?”

“Freakish?”

“Amethyst!” Pearl scolded. “You shouldn’t think that way about yourself.”

“But it _is_ freakish!” Amethyst insisted. “I’m not a good werewolf and I’m not a good human.”

Pearl looked saddened. “I think you’re wonderful…” she said.

Amethyst felt some of her tension drain. She couldn’t help but laugh a little, feeling so awkward and vulnerable, knowing Pearl was being truthful with her and not understanding why. Her laugh almost sounded like crying at the end.

“I know you’ve been lonely,” Pearl said, speaking gently. She brought Amethyst in close to her body. She opened her housecoat and drew her in so that they could be skin to skin. Amethyst stared at Pearl, searchingly.

“I didn’t feel lonely…” Amethyst answered. “Maybe sometimes. But not really. I didn’t know anything else. I’m gonna be way lonelier when you get tired of having me around.”

“And what makes you think I’m going to get tired of you?” Pearl asked.

“You had others, lots of them. But none of them are here, now.”

“Well no, my lovers have always been human,” Pearl answered, confused. “Humans are mortal so they don’t live very long…”

“But you could’ve changed them, right? If you’d really wanted to?” Amethyst pressed.

Pearl sighed. “Yes, I could’ve sired them. I thought about it often.”

“But you never did?”

“No…”

“Did you ever get close?” Amethyst asked. “Did you ever… talk about it with anyone?”

“I came close, yes. Once,” Pearl murmured, her eyes growing distant. She frowned and turned her focus back to Amethyst. “But I couldn’t do it in the end.”

“Why not?” Amethyst asked. “If you liked them so much, you wouldn’t have to be so lonely, right?”

Pearl shook her head. “Immortality is a heavy burden and not one I’d be eager to foster onto anyone else. I couldn’t do that… I couldn’t do that to someone I cared for. I cared for all of them. But I knew I couldn’t give them what they wanted, and they couldn’t give me what I wanted either.”

“It’s worse though, isn’t it?” Amethyst sounded upset. “It’s harder to let people go then to just keep them away all the time.”

“Not to me, I guess,” Pearl said.

Amethyst mulled it over.

“You haven’t done a very good job of keeping me away if that’s what you were trying to do,” Pearl added, her hands running over Amethyst’s thighs.

“I wasn’t ready to meet you here,” Amethyst admitted. “Also you just kinda overwhelmed me. L-like you’re doing now…” Pearl had begun to kiss her neck.

“You overwhelmed me, too…” Pearl whispered. Her mouth was close to Amethyst’s ear.

Amethyst felt like she was going to melt into the couch. Pearl was still touching her, kissing her and making a point of breathing heavily near her ear every so often. Her hands moved slowly over Amethyst’s skin, caressing her everywhere she could. Amethyst felt so hopelessly toyed with and she loved every second of it.

“You don’t have to feel freakish, by the way,” Pearl added after a few minutes of kissing her exposed skin. “I can do the same thing.”

“The same wuh?” Amethyst asked in a daze.

“Shapeshift… down there.”

Amethyst sat up so abruptly that Pearl actually got thrown back a ways. Amethyst didn’t even take notice of it. She gripped the arm of the couch and stared with wide eyes at Pearl, who had ended up on the coffee table and was trying to adjust her robe after the unexpected tossing.

“You can do that?!” Amethyst asked, leaning towards her.

“Well of course,” Pearl answered. “Most vampires are capable of shapeshifting.”

“Ooh, like when they turn into a bat?”

“Yes, as an example.” Pearl adjusted her sitting position on the table. “But I can shapeshift into other creatures as well. And I can shapeshift parts of my body.”

“Ugh, you’re so lucky!” Amethyst complained. “I can only shapeshift into one thing and I don’t have any control over it.” She tilted her head to look Pearl over, curiously. “Why do you do something like that?”

“Sometimes women I was er… entertaining here would have a preference for it.”

“That didn’t make you feel weird, though? Them asking for something that wasn’t really you?”

Pearl shrugged. “My shapeshifting abilities are a part of who I am and I don’t see it as any different than being asked to wear some kind of toy or something similar.”

Amethyst looked curious. “Does it… work?”

“I’m not capable of impregnating anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about it,” Pearl responded. Amethyst was taken aback by how candid she was over something like that.

“Are you sure?”

“If it ever happened, I was never told about it. But I think it’s fairly common knowledge that vampires are infertile. The only way we propagate our species is by siring others.”

“Right…” Amethyst agreed. She went quiet. The fire crackled. Pearl adjusted her seating position again, crossing her legs.

“Did you want me to shapeshift that for you?” Pearl asked.

“I-I’ve never…”

“I know.”

Amethyst fidgeted. “Is it really big?”

“Not terribly big, no,” Pearl replied. “There’s no pressure. I only asked because you looked interested in the idea.”

“I don’t have any preference one way or the other!” Amethyst blurted out. “I mean… whenever I thought about it, I didn’t really think ‘oh, I like men more than women’ or whatever. N-not that you’d be a man! I… I don’t mean that! I…”

Pearl got up off the coffee table and crossed back over to the couch, taking a seat next to Amethyst.

“You’re not one when you shapeshift, either, right? You’re still whoever you feel like you are.”

“Well, yeah…” Amethyst agreed.

“I don’t change anything else about myself, just that one thing, and not all that often,” Pearl said. She stroked Amethyst’s thigh. “It wasn’t requested very much. Most women I was with didn’t think what we did ‘counted’ as sex because there was no penis in vagina penetration, which is… ugh…” Pearl rolled her eyes. “So they thought they could continue to call themselves virgins and stay pure for their wedding night. It was a little insulting that I didn’t get any credit.”

“Well I definitely don’t buy into that,” Amethyst assured her. “You totally took my virginity, fair and square.”

Pearl giggled. “You gave it to me, more like.” She leaned in close. “It was so nice… being your first. It makes me feel just a little bit possessive of you…”

“Meanwhile I’m just one more notch on your bedpost,” Amethyst said, jokingly. Pearl didn’t take offence.

“It may not seem it, but I cherish every time,” Pearl said. “You’re my first immortal. And I must say, it’s a lot better…” She stroked Amethyst’s hair back. “I feel a rapport with you.”

“Are you just saying that to get in my pants?” Amethyst teased.

“Not at all, I’m perfectly content to just touch and cuddle with you all the rest of this evening. I’m happy to just be here with you.”

“Would you… y’know… shapeshift a… um…”

“Penis?” Pearl asked. That sent Amethyst into nervous giggles.

“Yeah. Just uh… just to try it out? Would that be okay?”

“More than okay,” Pearl said. “Would you like to do it here, or upstairs? Or somewhere else?”

“H-here is fine,” Amethyst gulped.

“Well then…” Pearl got off the couch. “Give me one moment, my pet. I need a bit more blood in my system for this.”

Amethyst watched as Pearl excused herself to go into the kitchen. She waited, pressing her back against the couch and feeling the same mixture of nervous and excited that she always experienced with Pearl. She hoped it wouldn’t hurt. She’d already had some fingers inside her and Pearl had been so gentle and respectful, so it was hard to imagine that Pearl was planning to just jackhammer her.

She didn’t have to wait long for Pearl to return. The vampire woman walked slowly back into the room, flush with blood after feeding. Amethyst’s eyes immediately glanced down as she approached. Although her robe was tied closed, Amethyst was sure she could see a new bulge under the satin fabric. She looked back up at Pearl’s eyes. “Did you do it already?”

“Mmhm.”

“Can I see?”

“My, such an eager little pet,” Pearl cooed. She undid the sash around her waist and slipped her robe off, letting it fall to the floor. She stood before Amethyst, allowing the other woman to just look her over.

Pearl looked the same as she always did, the only difference was what she had between her legs. She wasn’t very big at all, although her penis wasn’t hard yet and Amethyst knew enough about them to know that they got bigger when they were hard. Amethyst reached out and Pearl stepped in closer, allowing Amethyst to touch her new anatomy.

“Wow…” Amethyst marvelled. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

Pearl giggled. “Come, there’s more room on the floor...” She knelt down on the fur rug she kept in front of the fireplace. Amethyst joined her.

Pearl began to softly kiss her, which Amethyst eagerly returned. She felt Pearl gently guide her down onto her back, and Amethyst didn’t resist it whatsoever. They remained in a lip lock, with Pearl leaning over Amethyst as they kissed. She touched her between her legs to test how wet she was. She was fairly lubricated, but could’ve been more so. Pearl didn’t want her insertion to be anything but smooth and pleasurable for Amethyst.

“Mm… I’ll prepare you, pet,” Pearl whispered. She gently parted Amethyst’s legs and her head disappeared between them, where she began to lap at her pussy with her tongue.

“O-oh…” Amethyst sighed. She turned her head to one side, pressing her nose and cheek against the inside of her arm as it fell above her head on the floor. “Oh… Pearl… your mouth… ah…”

Pearl took her time, eating Amethyst out, enjoying the taste and scent of her. Savouring her. There was no rush. They had hours ahead of them. Amethyst writhed against Pearl’s mouth, putting her hand on top of her head. “Oh don’t make me cum too soon… you’re so good at- AH!” She jerked her hips up when Pearl’s lips pursed around her clit and she gave it a suck. Pearl quickly released it before she took Amethyst too far over the edge.

She’d started to get hard from going down on Amethyst. Pleasuring her any way she could was always such a turn on for her. Amethyst was irresistible and so cute when she was vulnerable and needy.

Pearl tested Amethyst’s insides by inserting a finger. She was plenty wet, but she was tensed. “Pet, you’re squeezing my finger so much… you must try to relax.”

“Maybe… maybe you could hypnotize me?” Amethyst suggested, panting.

“The glamour?”

“Yeah…”

Pearl sat up. “I suppose I could…” she said, a bit hesitant. “Not fully, but just enough to relax your body.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I don’t mind if you do that.”

“Alright…”

Pearl leaned over Amethyst again, keeping her hand between her legs to check her for relaxing. “Just look into my eyes,” she instructed.

Amethyst did so. Almost immediately she felt a sense of calm and tranquility. She breathed deeply. Her racing heart began to slow.

“You’re safe here, and no one will harm you,” Pearl whispered, gazing adoringly at her. “Let yourself go, completely… allow yourself to open up to me. Let me into your body and heart, as I’ve let you into mine…”

“Pearl…” Amethyst sighed. She closed her eyes.

“Shh… just relax…” Pearl soothed. She kissed Amethyst’s neck. Amethyst felt Pearl’s hips meet hers. “Mmm… There… that’s wonderful.”

“You’re inside?” Amethyst asked.

“Mmhmm.”

Amethyst opened her eyes again. She felt so good, so complete. Pearl was still gazing at her. Amethyst smiled and she reached for her. Pearl leaned closer and they kissed.

“You let me know if this feels uncomfortable for you in any way,” Pearl said. She leaned in closer to Amethyst, putting one arm behind her to cradle Amethyst’s head. She began to move, slowly. It wasn’t just to adjust Amethyst to the unfamiliar sensation of being penetrated like that, although that was part of it. It was also just to again, savour Amethyst for as long as she wanted. To let herself linger in that moment with her lover under her, gazing up at her with shining eyes. Pearl cupped Amethyst’s cheek. She pulled out, slowly. She slowly thrusted back in, arching her back to deepen their connection. Both of them gasped from a surge of mutual pleasure.

Their bodies got into a rhythm, with Pearl moving on top of Amethyst and Amethyst lifting her hips to match Pearl. Amethyst put her arms around Pearl and wrapped her legs around her hips as well, just feeling the need to cling to her.

Pearl was murmuring things between her heavy breaths. Words of encouragement and love to Amethyst. About how she was beautiful, how good she felt, how soft her body was, words that Amethyst had never heard about herself before meeting Pearl and yet words she craved constantly since their relationship had begun.

Amethyst felt only blissful, both comforted and aroused, but it a way that made her feel pleasantly intoxicated. She was probably still a bit hypnotized. Or maybe she was always a bit hypnotized by Pearl. Vampires were naturally alluring creatures, although that trait should have been lost on any werewolf.

Amethyst wasn’t typical, though. Maybe she was the type of werewolf that would be a docile pet to a vampire. She felt so vulnerable. She wanted to share more of herself with Pearl. She wanted to come clean.

But before she could say the name she’d wanted to bring up for days, Amethyst felt her pleasure peak, apparently right alongside Pearl’s. They were coming together, at the exact same time. Amethyst let out a little cry, arching up into Pearl, feeling Pearl throb inside her and release. It took several moments for it to completely fade and when it did, they both collapsed down and sighed together.

“Are you cold at all, pet?” Pearl asked.

“Yeah, I’m cold…” Amethyst answered. She wasn’t cold at all, but she couldn’t help but want Pearl to fuss over her. For something so minor, she hoped it wasn’t bad to lie.

“Poor, poor Amethyst…” Pearl whispered. She pulled the blanket off the couch and started to wrap Amethyst in it, only to have the woman protest.

“You, too!”

“Of course,” Pearl giggled. She wrapped them both up in the blanket and they settled back down on their backs on the rug. Amethyst turned her head, pressing her nose against Pearl’s neck, which made the vampire shiver.

“That was so good…” Amethyst whispered. She nuzzled. “You’re the best… you’re so amazing… I really, really… really think…”

“Mm?” Pearl asked. “What’s on your mind, pet?”

Amethyst frowned. “Can I tell you anything?”

“Of course. Anything you want,” Pearl assured her.

“Okay...” Amethyst said. “I kind of want to have sex with you tomorrow night, but uh… I’m scared to.”

“Why’s that?” Pearl asked.

“Because um… it’s kind of a big deal to er… mate. On the full moon. Like for werewolves. It’s actually a huge deal.”

“It’s a very important thing?” Pearl was interested.

“Yeah. It’s kind of a bonding thing,” Amethyst explained, feeling silly. “I’ve never done it. Obviously. But I’ve heard of it happening. It’s not something you just do with anyone. Not that you’re just anyone! I mean, I’d totally pair bond with you if you wanted but I have to tell you about it because I didn’t know if you’d wanna do that with me!”

Pearl let that sink in. “I think I understand. I had no idea it was so significant.”

“Y-yeah...”

Pearl had to consider that carefully. She wasn’t a werwolf, so full moon sex wouldn’t hold any strong significance for her, she didn’t think. But the potential for it to change Amethyst biologically or hormonally… to induce some kind of pair bond… was at least a little concerning to her.

“You’re alright with doing that with me, though?” Pearl asked.

“Well… yeah. Who else would I do it with?”

“You feel that close to me?”

“Is it wrong?” Amethyst raised her eyes to look at Pearl. They were so large and dark, so easy for Pearl to get lost in. Amethyst looked saddened. “It’s way too soon, isn’t it? I’m sorry. I’ve never done this before…”

Pearl adored Amethyst. She wanted to make her feel cared for and accepted. She wanted to keep her close. She was touched that Amethyst would’ve wanted to share such an important experience with her.

“No…” Pearl whispered. She touched Amethyst’s cheek. “It’s not wrong at all. You’re allowed to speak your mind and feelings to me any time you want. I want you to.”

Amethyst continued to frown and she kept her eyes averted. “I just… I really like you, Pearl. Like, a lot. I want to be more than just another one of your…” She paused. “Paramours.”

Pearl winced. “What did you have in mind?”

“I want your heart…” Amethyst whispered, gathering up the nerve to kiss Pearl. Pearl didn’t withdraw but she didn’t lean in, either.

“You want a serious romantic relationship,” Pearl sighed.

“Yeah!” Amethyst said, brightening.

“Monogamous…” Pearl continued.

“Well… ideally?”

“I haven’t considered something like that in a very long time,” Pearl admitted. Amethyst wilted. “Not that I’m opposed to it!” Pearl added, quickly. “But, Amethyst… this is rather serious.”

“It’s not serious to you?” Amethyst asked. “It’s serious to me.”

“Of course it is… I can tell that your feelings are true,” Pearl said.

“You can’t act the way you do and not expect people to get attached.”

“I suppose not.”

“I can’t be the first.”

“Not the first, no.”

“Pearl, I wanna stay here. I want to keep learning about you,” Amethyst said, seriously. “But I’m falling for you. And I want to know if there’s any chance at all that this can be more than just whatever this is. Do you really like me?”

“Of course I like you, Amethyst!” Pearl exclaimed. “Goodness. I liked you the moment I laid eyes on you. I like you more and more, the more I get to know you.”

“I don’t want us to act all mushy and coupley if it’s just pretend. I don’t think I’ll be able to keep doing it for much longer if it’s fake. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to do, it’s just… I can’t do that. I want it to mean something.”

Pearl didn’t think it was fake. But Amethyst was far from the first woman she’d swept up in affection and praise. Pearl just enjoyed the act of lavishing attention on people. It was rare for them to ask for more from her.

But Pearl also felt attached to Amethyst, in a way she hadn’t felt for most of the others. She wanted to see her happy and thriving. She also looked forward to being with her, sleeping next to her and caring for her. She wanted to keep her close. Amethyst wasn’t wrong to ask Pearl to clarify her feelings. She deserved to know them.

“I care for you,” Pearl said, softly. “I feel like maybe… we can understand each other.” She shyly linked her fingers with Amethyst’s. “I wanted you the second I saw you. I want to keep you. I’ll do anything to keep you here… Because I feel like you’re mine.”

Amethyst smiled. “Yeah?” she asked. “How so?”

“I don’t want you to move on from me. I want you to need me. I want to be what you need…”

“Do you like me?”

“Y-yes…”

“Do you see this as something that could potentially be serious?”

Pearl swallowed. She nodded. “I do. I think so. I-I want it to be…”

“Is that asking too much?”

“No. No, not at all. I’ve wanted to settle down with someone. I’ve never been opposed to it. But I became convinced it would never happen, so I stopped thinking about it. I tried to just enjoy everyone I was with as much as I could, and say goodbye when it was time.”

“You don’t have to say goodbye to me. I’m immortal, just like you.” Amethyst kissed Pearl again and Pearl inhaled sharply, responding to it with hunger. She pushed up against Amethyst and kissed her, passionately. She could feel Amethyst’s heartbeat quickening in excitement. Pearl felt cautiously optimistic. She knew she’d be heartbroken if Amethyst left her. In such a short time, she’d become so accustomed to having her there. Her presence was so warm and comforting. Pearl couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.

“A werewolf and a vampire together. How strange,” Pearl giggled. “I wonder if it’s ever happened before.”

“Maybe we’re the first.”

“Maybe. We could be trailblazers.”

Amethyst grinned. “We’re really doing this, then?”

“Yes,” Pearl said, unable to keep from grinning as well. “I guess we’re a couple.”

Amethyst looked excited and her excitement was infectious. She buried her head against Pearl’s chest, trying to keep herself from just jumping up and screaming in happiness.

Pearl felt like her body temperature rose from her feet to the top of her head. “You’re so cute!” She grabbed Amethyst around the waist and rolled over with her, pressing excited, happy kisses to her cheeks and nose while Amethyst squirmed and giggled.

“You’re cute, too!”

“Not as cute as you are.”

“You’re way cuter.”

Pearl blew a raspberry on Amethyst’s cheek, which sent her squealing. She managed to get out of Pearl’s grasp and she got to her feet, running off. Pearl gasped and stood up. “You can’t run from me!” she cried.

She gave chase, catching Amethyst as she was trying to run up the stairs. She grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up, causing Amethyst to shriek.

“Gotcha! Oh my, you’re not very fast, are you?” Pearl teased. “If I were a predator, I would’ve gobbled you right up.”

Amethyst giggled. “Maybe I wanted you to catch me. Also, you’re totally a predator.”

“Well, I’ve never preyed on anyone,” Pearl clarified.

“Because you’re good…” Amethyst said, kissing Pearl’s cheek.

“Well…” Pearl began to climb the stairs with Amethyst in her arms. “I try to be, at least.”

“You are,” Amethyst insisted. “I’ve actually… killed, before.”

“You have?”

“Well like… mice and rabbits and stuff,” Amethyst admitted. “When I turn. I can’t help it.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Pearl answered. She brought Amethyst to her room and Amethyst thought that perhaps they were going to have sex again. Instead, Pearl shapeshifted her body back to normal in a puff of wispy black smoke. “Tomorrow night might be dangerous,” she said.

Amethyst grumbled. “I know, I know.”

“You were off when Garnet was here. You seem better, now. But this lycan…”

Amethyst let out a frustrated sigh. “I know…” she mumbled.

“I think Garnet wants us to lay low tomorrow night. But after that, we’ll meet with her and Bismuth in town and discuss this. With all of us together, there must be a way to stop this thing.”

Amethyst nodded. She looked guiltily down, nervously twisting a lock of her hair in her fingers. “I swear if I’d known about it, I would’ve said something… no, I would’ve stayed away. I don’t like to put people in danger.”

“I know…” Pearl stepped close to Amethyst and smoothed back her hair. “But trust me… you won’t have anything to fear as long as you stay on the grounds. That’s a promise.”

“What’s gonna stop a lycan from coming up here if it wants to?” Amethyst asked. Although thinking about her encounter with it again, she remembered it had stopped chasing her when she crossed onto the grounds of Candlewood. Something had repelled it. But nothing repelled her. There was a dark energy she felt, but nothing so strong as to actually force her back. Even with all the silver on hand. To her knowledge, lycans didn’t have any fear of vampires, so there wasn’t anything about Pearl herself that would force such a beast back into the forest. It was something else.

Amethyst wanted to ask. But she didn’t want to touch on anything traumatic. Not after having such a good night with Pearl so far.

“It just won’t,” Pearl answered. “It’s been this way for years.” She shrugged. “The house, it…” She paused, then shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.”

“What?” Amethyst asked, genuinely curious. “What about the house?”

“Ah, I can’t explain it…” Pearl replied, quickly. “I’m sorry I brought it up, it’s not worth discussing at this time.”

“Hey.” Amethyst gave Pearl a serious look. She took her hands in hers and Pearl looked startled by the gesture before raising her eyes to look at Amethyst. “You don’t have to tell me stuff that makes you upset, but… it’s always worth discussing, okay? It’s worth it if you need it. Always.”

“O-oh…” Pearl said, softly, a little taken aback by Amethyst’s seriousness. “Thank you…” She smiled. “I think… I made a good choice, letting you in.”

—

The forest floor was misted over, and Amethyst moved carefully as a result, since she was barefoot. She touched the tree branches for leverage as she made her way through the foliage. Her nightgown kept getting snagged on brambles even when she hitched it up above her knees.

It was nearly dawn. The darkness of night had given way to a pre-morning blueish light. Visibility was low, but improving. The forest smells and sounds invigorated Amethyst. And then amid the usual hum of crickets and song birds, she heard a low buzzing. As she walked, it grew in volume. The buzzing of insect wings. By the time she reached the meadow, it was almost deafening.

She stepped out into the clearing, greeted by the sight of dozens of disemboweled deer. Their entrails were spread messily across the dewy grass. Flies circled their corpses and landed on them. Maggots writhed inside their skin and spilled out onto the ground in clumps. The stench of rotting meat filled Amethyst’s nose and she clamped a hand over her mouth and doubled over, heaving a few times but failing to bring anything up. Then she felt that sudden paralyzing fear. It gripped her abruptly, like she’d been shackled. It held her on the spot. She could only raise her head, the white hot terror rising up as she did. Her mind pleaded with her to run, but something held her fast.

Standing just beyond the edge of the trees on the other side of the meadow was a nightmarish creature. At the distance, it was difficult to determine the scale of it, but Amethyst could tell it was enormous.

It was bipedal, but its torso and upper limbs were exaggeratedly muscular and massively disproportionate to its legs, causing it to hunch forward from the weight. It was mostly hairless with only a trail of fur growing down the length of its spine. The rest of it was covered in mottled skin, the color of rotten flesh. Its skull was only vaguely canine shaped, but its lower jaw hung out past its upper jaw in a severe underbite. Its yellow, sunken eyes stared directly at Amethyst. And she knew, even though she’d never seen such a creature in her waking life… she was looking at a lycan.  
  
  
She’d never seen one before. In her lifetime up until very recently, she’d only been vaguely aware of the existence of such creatures. But it was there, watching her without blinking, its expression that of a predator with its eyes bearing down on its prey. No emotions whatsoever, only instinct.  
  
  
_Instinct.  
_  
  
Amethyst realized her body wouldn’t move because she knew somehow that if she ran, the lycan would lunge. That was why she was paralyzed. Her body had overtaken her brain. Her species, somehow, somewhere in the long-forgotten past, had evolved to freeze in the path of a lycan. And that was the only way her ancestors had ever survived an encounter with one.

Amethyst bowed her head again, her eyes staring down at the flattened grass under her. She focused on a smear of blood against the green. A maggot wriggled around near her feet. Amethyst breathed shallowly. And then she was aware of it suddenly standing over her. Her blood felt like ice water in her veins.  
  
  
_Don’t move_. It wasn’t like she could’ve even if she’d tried.

She felt the repulsive creature nose the top of her head and inhale deeply, the action causing Amethyst’s body to respond in a way she didn’t want. She felt sickened.

It made a noise, a sort of growling vocalization that was neither that of a human nor that of a beast. It didn’t sound like anything Amethyst had ever heard, and yet somehow she understood what was said, even though it hadn’t spoken any words.  
  
  
_You’re almost ripe.  
_  
  


Amethyst felt her stomach lurch.

The buzzing sound grew louder and louder and Amethyst felt a scream build in her throat, uncomfortably. But it refused to leave. She couldn’t scream, but she felt the pressure.  
  
  
  
She woke with her ears ringing, to the sounds of her own whimpers. She was lying in darkness, Pearl next to her and still asleep. But it still took a few agonizing seconds before her body become unparalyzed. Through it all, Amethyst repeated mentally to herself, “It was just a dream, it was just a dream,” to try and shift her focus to something besides her terror.  
  
  
  
She exhaled a few times. Pearl’s arms were around her and when she shifted her body, Pearl murmured in her sleep and cuddled in closer. Amethyst didn’t feel crowded or restrained by her the way she thought she might. Instead, she felt comforted by her presence. Pearl would just know if she was in any danger. Pearl would react to it. But she was completely calm and asleep, so there wasn’t anything to fear.  
  
  
  
The was safe in Candlewood manor. Safe on the grounds. Something about the house… Something about Pearl.  
  
  
  
Amethyst was exhausted from her burst of adrenaline, followed by her abrupt crash. It was still daytime, most likely. It was still time to sleep. She closed her eyes, letting her mind wander. Her dream, so terrifying at the time, began to drift out of her mind until she could scarcely recall what she’d dreamed about.  
  
  
  
_I’m safe with Pearl. I’m safe in the house.  
  
I’m safe with the house. I’m safe in Pearl.  
  
Pearl is the house. The house is Pearl._


	8. Fever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a quick note since there was some confusion... The first bits of this chapter are fever dreams/memories Amethyst is having that I don't think came across as well as I thought D:

“You could try Candlewood,” someone at the tavern had suggested.  
  
That was how it had started. An off-handed remark that she wouldn’t have registered at all, had it not triggered some spark of memory inside her. It sounded familiar. Something she might have heard about years ago, when she was still living in Danbis, maybe. But the only thing that came to her was the name.

It was suddenly a year earlier, not that Amethyst’s body had felt nor displayed the passage of time in almost a century. She sat at the bar, small and hunched over, seated between patrons that were almost all at least twice her size but likely a quarter of her age. Large men, most of them labourers, many of them just as wet and dirty as she was from coming in from the storm outside.

Amethyst kept her head partially bowed, tried to conceal as much of herself beneath her hood as humanly possible when she turned. “What’s Candlewood?” she asked, gruffly. Most people could clock her as a woman quickly if they looked at her directly. Her soft, rounded features didn’t allow for her to be mistaken for anything else. Her hair stubbornly regrew to waist-length within a few days, no matter how many times she’d hacked at it with a knife. Her body, it seemed, was committed to the status quo. She was a snapshot of the woman she had once been, frozen in time. It made it difficult to conceal her gender from those who would all too eagerly dismiss her.

The man next to her leaned out of his stool, giving her a look over that she angled herself away from before she lifted her mug and took a sip of mulled wine to try and cover part of her face. He was suspicious, that much was clear.

“How’d a kid like you even get in here?” the man asked.

“Leave him,” the barkeep warned. “It’s storming outside. He’s paying, let him be.”

The man shrugged, not concerned about it. “Candlewood is the name of a house in the next kingdom. A big mansion, on top of a hill. They say that the man who used to live there was a holy man who turned to science to try and reverse vampirism.”  
  
Amethyst lowered her mug. “Reverse _vampirism_? What, like… heh. Like turn them back into humans?”

  
“Unshoot the bullet,” the man said, making a finger gun at her. Amethyst flinched. “Dunno why he’d do such a thing, but… he had the support of the king, his full cooperation. All the resources and money he needed to do his research. ‘Course, that was a hundred years ago at least.”  
  
“So I’m guessing he didn’t cure vampires,” Amethyst mumbled.  
  
“Not sure. Legend has it that he kept all his notes and findings on the site, hidden away. S’far as I know, Candlewood still stands. Not sure who lives there now. But they say it’s cursed land.”  
  
“Sounds like a dead end,” Amethyst mumbled under her breath.  
  
Amethyst wasn’t a vampire, so finding a cure for being a vampire wasn’t of much interest to her, initially. But after she’d exhausted other leads to cure her condition, she began to wonder if perhaps she could use the man’s research as a starting point. Vampires and werewolves shared some similarities so it was possible. Worth a look, at the very least. The kingdom in question was on her way, so as she got closer, she began to ask around.  
  
In the smaller villages, where the people were filthy and sickly, the very mention of Candlewood caused people to gasp and cross themselves.  
  


Most people didn’t know specifics about it, but those who did spoke of a man by the name of Jeremiah Candlewood. Those who had heard of him spoke of him fondly.  
  
“He was a priest, I think… it was before I was around, though,” one farmer said as he leaned on his pitchfork, chewing a piece of wheat. “But he wanted to turn vampires back to humans.”  
  
“It don’t make no sense to me,” an raspy-voiced woman on the street said after Amethyst had coaxed her into talking by throwing a few coins into her hat. “The man had good intentions, but he was messin’ with demons and now there’s a lot of bad juju around that place. Yer headin’ that way?”  
  
“Maybe…” Amethyst said, uncertainly.  
  
“Well take this, then…” The woman gripped her wrist, pressing a necklace into her hand. Amethyst looked down to see it was a cross on a chain. “It’ll keep you safe.”  
  
The gesture was nice, but Amethyst still looked at it with skepticism. She had serious doubts that any god anywhere had an interest in protecting her. But the woman looked at her so intently that Amethyst had no choice but to slip it over her head, just to satisfy her.  
  
“Go with God,” the woman called to her as she walked away.  
  
Glenmere was the name of the town that eventually came up and became the destination she had in mind. She wandered down a dirt road in the forest for the better part of a day before a man driving a wagon pulled up beside her and offered her a ride.  
  
“No charge. I’m going that direction anyway.”  
  
Amethyst sat in the back, huddled up in her cloak between sacks of what she assumed were vegetables, if the earthy smell was any indication.  
  
“Oh yeah, Candlewood. What business d’you got with that place?”  
  
“Looking for work,” Amethyst answered. “I thought maybe the master could use me for something.”  
  
“You’ll be lucky if you even get to the front door,” the driver said with a laugh. “If any of the townsfolk could get close to the house, they would’ve raided it years ago.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Amethyst’s head popped up from behind the cargo.  
  
“Well… the townsfolk are either too superstitious to get close to the house, or… something else is keeping them away.”  
  
“Who lives in Candlewood, now?”  
  
“That I couldn’t tell you. But it’s definitely occupied by _some_ one. You can see the windows lit up, sometimes. If you’re standing close enough to get a good look at it.”  
  
\--  
  
Under a torrent of icy rain, Amethyst walked along the muddy forest road, up towards the house sitting atop the hill. She felt exhausted, as if her body was weighed down by bricks. Her muscles burned from walking and the soaking clothes on her back only added unbearable weight to her body. She pressed on, even as her foot sunk into mud that was too soft and too deep for her and she groaned as she felt it fill her boot. It was so close. The house. Candlewood. She only had to get to the hill and she’d be safe. Pearl would find her. She’d take her in and warm her by the fire. She could fall asleep in a soft bed, safely nestled next to the vampire.  
  
But she couldn’t make it. Amethyst fell to her knees. Candlewood was a dark, angular shadow on the hill. She could make out the windows through the curtain of rain. But it never seemed to get any closer. She couldn’t go on any further. She had to rest.  
  
The woman fell forward into the muddy earth, her body feeling as heavy as lead. She was shivering. Her teeth were chattering. She was soaking wet. But she couldn’t make it.  
  
In a hoarse voice, Amethyst spoke her name. “Pearl…”  
  
And then… she was there. She was as pale as the moon and seemed to give off a comparable glow, even in the dead of night. She was dressed in a nightgown that billowed around her body. She was barefoot but the mud and rain didn’t seem to touch her. She knelt down, reaching out her arms to Amethyst.  
  
\--  
  
“Can you hear me?”  
  
Her mother’s voice was laced with concern. Amethyst started to come to, the question forming even before she’d fully opened her eyes.  
  
“Were we just outside…?”  
  
“No. I think you were dreaming.”  
  
“Is it raining?” Amethyst could still hear it falling but as soon as her eyelids fluttered open, it had completely stopped, leaving the bedroom to feel heavily silent in its wake. Her mother, Prima, was seated next to her on the bed, leaning over her.  
  
“It’s completely clear,” the woman answered. She held Amethyst’s clammy hand above the covers, stroking it softly. “You’re very sick, Amethyst… Can you sit up even a little?”  
  
Amethyst shut her eyes and winced, debating on attempting any movement at all when her entire body felt so heavy and achy. But then with all the strength she could muster, she tried to slowly raise herself up against the pillows. Prima put a supporting arm around her and pressed her hand to the small of her back, letting the woman brace herself against Prima’s body and prop herself up. When she’d finished, Amethyst let out a heavy, exhausted sigh. She almost went back to sleep but Prima gingerly tapped her cheek to keep her awake.  
  
“You have to try and drink some water…” Prima was practically begging her, truly afraid that Amethyst wouldn’t make it through the night if she didn’t get some fluids into her body. The bed was soaked with her sweat.  
  
Amethyst nodded, slowly. Her eyes were still closed. Prima brought a cup to Amethyst’s lips and tilted it gently. Amethyst drank it slowly until it was empty. It gave Prima some relief.  
  
“It’s okay…” Amethyst spoke, hoarsely. “It’s just a fever, mama… you always take such good care of me.”  
  
\--  
  


Fear. The kind of fear that left her body feeling as cold as ice and as heavy as stone.  
  
She stood in the doorway to her home, her long shadow falling across the floor. The interior of the house was dark as pitch. Only the slant of early morning light coming in through the doorway provided any light. It fell across a hand attached to a wrist that lay limply on the floor. Three fingers had been bitten off. The smell of blood was so heavy in the stale air. The buzzing of flies.  
  
The girl in the doorway stood, disbelieving. She was cold. So very cold. Her mouth had gone dry. She worked her jaw a few times. Her mind was white with shock.  
  
“Mother…?” Her voice came out in a squeak. “Mama…?”  
  
She took a step inside the dark house. She walked stiffly to the back of the room, where the woman was lying, crumbled in the shadows. There wasn’t much left of her that wasn’t completely mauled. Parts of her had been eaten. Her face was mostly gone. She was missing one arm. Her stomach and chest had been ripped open and her innards had been haphazardly strewn around the room. Furniture had been tipped over. There had been a struggle. The window was broken. There was blood smeared across the floor. Bloodied handprints against the wall and the stove door. The girl took in all the details with a strange, detached feeling.  
  
Then, in the deepest shadows, seated on the staircase, the girl saw another person in the house. There wasn’t supposed to be another person in the house. It was just her. Just her and her mother, always. No one else. But there was someone there. A woman, gaunt and wild, nude and covered with blood and dirt. She was eating something with both hands in the darkness, taking wet bites of it and chewing noisily. Her body twitched.  
  
She turned her head slowly to the girl, her eyes catching the dim light. Yellow and feral. There was a trail of blood from her lips, down her throat and chest.  
  
“My child,” the woman spoke, her voice raspy. She grinned. Her teeth were stained with red. “My daughter. _You’re almost ripe_.”  
  
\--  
  
The town was big enough that it wasn’t all dirt roads and superstitious farmers. It was dusk when Amethyst arrived. Following her usual plan, Amethyst headed to the nearest tavern where the locals gathered after dark and alcohol loosened their tongues and lowered their suspicions. She could smell rain in the air and she wasn’t certain she would be able to trek up to Candlewood on foot without getting caught in it.  
  
She approached the front door, casting a curious glance at a woman who lingered nearby. She felt Amethyst’s eyes on her and turned to look, sneering at her. She curled her upper lip. Her lips were a bright red and her eyes were sultry. There was lipstick smeared across her teeth. She looked Amethyst up and down. “What are you lookin’ at?” she asked.   
  
Amethyst was frozen a moment, just staring.  
  
“What?” the woman demanded. She eyed the cross around Amethyst’s neck. “Oh, I get it. You’re gonna tell me what an evil sinner I am?”  
  
The tavern door suddenly swung open and another woman emerged from the darkness, nearly colliding head-on with Amethyst. Instead, she side stepped her and nearly lost her balance. She then purposefully hit Amethyst with her shoulder, which caused Amethyst to wince and come out of her stupor.  
  
“Watch where you’re going, runt,” she snarled. Amethyst met her eyes for an instant and then quickly looked away. She turned to the woman who’d been lingering by the door and grinned at her, throwing her arm around her. “Ready to go, Lapis?”  
  
“Yeah, let’s get out of here. That guy over there is giving me the creeps.” She nodded her head in Amethyst’s direction and the tall woman turned to look at Amethyst again, her expression darkening.  
  
“Hey. If I ever catch you looking at her again…” she began, her voice a warning growl.  
  
Amethyst raised her shoulders, feeling panicked. The first woman was slim and not much taller than she was, but the second woman was tall and muscular, walloping her at least twice over in size. “I-I didn’t mean any harm!” Amethyst exclaimed, holding her hands up. She took a step back from them. “I’m sorry, I’m just new here and I don’t know the area, I-”  
  
“What an ugly, dirty little troll you are,” the smaller woman, Lapis, said in a distasteful tone. “You should probably go back to the forest where you came from.” The other woman just kept looking at Amethyst, her eyes glittering intensely.  
  
Amethyst hurried into the tavern through the door, her body finally deciding to work. She heard the pair of them laughing at her back but she tried to ignore it. As far as first impressions went, it wasn’t a great one. The encounter left her feeling a little shaken. She didn’t really want to get on people’s bad side so soon after arriving in town.  
  
For a second, Amethyst stood in the dimly lit tavern, unsure of what to do. She numbly went over to the bar and tried to get the barkeep’s attention, hoping to order something that would warm her up. The gruff looking barkeep gave her a glance, then pointed across the tavern. “Your seat’s over there. The witch is waiting for you.”  
  
“Witch…?” Amethyst asked, confused. She turned in the direction the barkeep pointed. There was a woman sitting in a booth and seemed to be beckoning her. Amethyst looked to her right and left before she mouthed “Me?” and pointed to her chest. The woman in the booth nodded eagerly and kept gesturing for her to come. Amethyst hesitated for a moment. Obviously she’d never been to Glenmere before and she didn’t know anyone there. Did the patron mistake her for someone else? She wasn’t entirely sure. But with nothing else to do, she awkwardly shuffled over to the booth and stood next to it, stiffly. She noticed there was a drink sitting at the empty spot facing the woman. Amethyst gave her a curious look.  
  
“Cider,” the woman said, giving her a warm smile. “I ordered it for you.”  
  
Amethyst faltered. “How’d you… know?”  
  
“I just knew. Please sit down. I’ve been waiting for you.”  
  
Amethyst sat down across from the woman. She eyed the tankard distrustfully. But the woman across from her just patiently waited, her smile never faltering. Finally Amethyst relented and she took a sip. Without meaning to, a satisfied moan escaped her lips. It felt warm and comforting. She didn’t know who the woman was, but she knew she didn’t mean to hurt her. She let herself relax. “Thank you…” she murmured.  
  
“My name is Garnet. I run the inn next door.”  
  
“Nice to meet you, Garnet.” Amethyst stuck her hand out across the table to shake Garnet’s hand. “I’m Am-Jack. Jack.” She coughed and took another sip of cider.  
  
“Alright,” Garnet answered. Amethyst was pretty sure she wasn’t fooling her. She wasn’t wearing much of a disguise. But Garnet didn’t press it. “I know what you’re here for.”  
  
Amethyst raised an eyebrow. “You do…?”  
  
“Yes. I know that you’ve been searching for something for a very long time.”  
  
Amethyst sat up a bit straighter, her eyes widening. “Is it at Candlewood?” she asked. “That’s where I need to go, right? That’s what I came here for!”  
  
“I’ll take you,” Garnet offered. “I’ll have to take you. She won’t let you in if you go alone.”  
  
\--  
  
Garnet was startled to find Pearl at her doorstep, Amethyst wrapped in a blanket across her arms, while burns blistered Pearl’s skin. The vampire’s eyes were wide and frightened. “Garnet, Amethyst… she’s…” she began, her voice punctuated with little breathless sobs.  
  
Garnet stepped aside and Pearl hurried into the inn with Amethyst. Despite being indoors, the vampire wasn’t safe from the sunlight. Direct midday sunlight would cause her to catch fire, but it was late afternoon and the sun’s light wasn’t as harsh on her skin. Still, she was badly burned. She’d thrown a cloak on to cover herself but it hadn’t fully protected her in her hurry to fly over. Garnet knew the lobby, still flooded with natural light, wasn’t the right place to question Pearl about what she was doing there. The witch gently put her hands on Pearl’s shoulders and she urged her up a winding staircase behind the front counter.  
  
Garnet’s actual home was located in the upper level of the inn. It was only two rooms and it was a tight space that she filled from floor to ceiling with various trinkets, items and plants that she used for spells. But the single rounded window was small and easy to cover. Garnet pulled a hatch down over it, momentarily plunging them into darkness. A second later, glass orbs positioned in every corner of the room began to glow with a pale, blueish light. Garnet’s bed was pushed against the far wall and it sat directly on the floor. She beckoned for Pearl to bring Amethyst over.  
  
The vampire did so, easing Amethyst down onto the bed and Garnet sat next to it so she could get a look at her properly for the first time.  
  
The woman was alive but she was very ill. Her skin was clammy and had gone an ashy color. Her eyes were rimmed with red splotches. Her lips were pale and chapped. And she was burning to the touch. She was running a high fever. Her eyes fluttered open and she glanced between Garnet and Pearl with a glassy, unfocused gaze. Pearl hovered around the bed, wringing her hands together as Garnet peeled the blanket off of Amethyst to examine her. Her night gown was plastered to her shivering body. Garnet took her pulse, feeling her wrist and neck.  
  
“Silver,” Garnet spoke.  
  
“But she hasn’t gone anywhere near the silver,” Pearl protested, weakly.  
  
“Pearl, I told you that it’s no good to keep Amethyst in Candlewood,” Garnet said, her voice harsh. Pearl shrank back from her and she averted her eyes from the witch, guiltily. Garnet got to work preparing the antidote and Pearl hung back, watching her.  
  
“Some werewolves are most sensitive to silver at the time of their transformation,” Garnet said, mixing a potion. “Even if she didn’t touch it, just being close to it has an amplified effect.”  
  
Pearl put her hands over her mouth. “I… I didn’t know… I…”  
  
“This inn isn’t werewolf-proof…” Garnet sighed. “But she’s not any better off at Candlewood tonight, either. I suppose I don’t have a choice. I might have to keep her restrained, depending on how feral she is.”  
  
“Just make my Amethyst better,” Pearl pleaded, clasping her hands together. “I swear I didn’t mean for this to happen.”  
  
Garnet helped Amethyst sit up, even though the woman’s body was limp and she was shaking from the effort. The witch tilted the cup of antidote to her lips, urging Amethyst to drink it. The woman sputtered a bit at the bitter taste but Garnet didn’t seem phased by it. Amethyst was too weak to fight it much and Garnet tilted her head back, pushing the lip of the cup against her mouth, forcing her to swallow the liquid. Once she’d finished, Garnet took the cup away and Amethyst exhaled in a burst before panting. Garnet made her lie back down in the bed and covered her. Amethyst’s eyes immediately closed and her breathing relaxed.  
  
Garnet got to her feet and turned to Pearl, who was standing off to the side, but still watching with wide and worried eyes. “She’ll be alright… she was reacting to it, but it wasn’t in her body. She’s going to be just fine.”  
  
Pearl nodded, her expression pained. Garnet’s shoulders relaxed and she smiled apologetically.  
  
“I’m sorry I snapped at you.”  
  
“I deserve it… you warned me. I didn’t listen…” Pearl answered, dejectedly.  
  
“Let me take a look at those burns…”  
  
“No. Leave them.”  
  
Garnet gave Pearl an exasperated look. “Pearl, come on…” She took a step towards her and Pearl backed up.  
  
“No, I said! It’s fine.”  
  
“You’ll worry her.” Garnet nodded in Amethyst’s direction. Pearl didn’t answer. “You look exhausted, maybe you should-”  
  
“I’m not going to leave her side,” Pearl said, stubbornly.  
  
“I was going to say, you should eat something,” Garnet replied. “I’ll get you something… I think I can still run to the butcher before it closes.”  
  
“You don’t have to…”  
  
“Stop,” Garnet said, sternly. “I don’t mind. Stop punishing yourself. It doesn’t help anything and it’s the last thing you should be doing _more_ of.”  
  
Pearl didn’t answer. “I have to mind the inn for a while longer… are you alright up here?”  
  
“Yes. I’m fine…”  
  
“I’ll mention to Bismuth that you’re here as well. She’ll be excited to see you.”  
  
A faint smile quirked Pearl’s lips for a second. “Yes… that will be nice.”  
  
“She’s going to be okay,” Garnet assured Pearl, referring to Amethyst. “Moonrise isn’t for a few hours, yet. You can both rest here. Have you slept at all today?”  
  
“A little…” Pearl mumbled. She hunkered down next to the bed on the floor, to keep watch. Garnet decided to leave it there. Pearl’s attention wasn’t on her own health. She was too concerned about Amethyst. Anything Garnet wanted to say would fall on deaf ears until Amethyst was better.  
  
“I’ll be back to check in, later… Try to rest. You’re both safe here.”  
  
“Thank you, Garnet…”  
  
With that, Garnet descended the staircase, leaving Pearl alone.

The vampire exhaled, letting her tense body slacken. She touched Amethyst’s forehead. The woman no longer felt feverish. She seemed to be sleeping soundly. With that relief, Pearl became aware of her burns and she gingerly examined them. She knew she had some on her face. There wasn’t a mirror in Garnet’s home that would show her a reflection, so she couldn’t examine her appearance to make sure she wasn’t too horrific looking. She hoped it was just minor. She had a few on her arms and hands as well. But the rest of her was fine. They would heal quickly and they wouldn’t leave any scars. Pearl had been burned by the sunlight before.  
  
The vampire turned her attention back to Amethyst and she felt a yearning to be closer to her. She’d been so afraid. Amethyst had looked on the verge of death. She’d also been delirious with fever, most notably calling Pearl “mama” a few times. Pearl had the feeling that Amethyst wouldn’t be going back to Candlewood with her. It was too risky. The thought made her heart sink. Pearl wasn’t certain she could leave Candlewood. It was so much a part of her. Garnet encouraged her to leave it, but she couldn’t. Her guilt kept her bound to it. Maybe that was the way it was meant to be. She’d probably been fooling herself, thinking that anything meaningful in her life would change.  
  
Miserably, Pearl wondered if it was better to just leave Amethyst to sleep and return to Candlewood. She thought about it for a moment. Returning to her lonely, empty life in that house without Amethyst. She’d only known her a short while. But she’d become so attached to her. Her heart ached at the thought of having to give her up.  
  
Amethyst stirred in the bed and made a little noise in her sleep. Pearl carefully lifted the blanket and got into the bed next to Amethyst. It was a bit crowded, since Garnet’s bed was only really sized for one person. But Pearl didn’t mind being close to Amethyst. Amethyst’s heat, her scent, the steady beating of her heart, it all had a calming effect on Pearl.  
  
Amethyst sleepily wriggled in close against Pearl, seeking her out in the bed and humming contentedly when their bodies made contact. Pearl drew her in close. “Mm… Pearl…?”  
  
Pearl felt another rush of relief at hearing Amethyst speak and actually call her the correct name. “How are you feeling, Amethyst?”  
  
“I feel like I woke up from the dead…” Amethyst said, drowsily. “What’s that smell?”  
  
“We’re in Garnet’s room. There’s probably a lot of strange things you can smell.”  
  
“Huh… Garnet’s room? Why…?” She was awoken fully when Pearl suddenly seized her in a tight, emotional hug that left her momentarily winded. “Whoa! Pearl, what!”  
  
“You were sick. You were running a fever. You’re all better now, but I had to take you to Garnet and get you out of the house… the silver was making you sick…” Pearl whispered against Amethyst’s shoulder. She felt the sting of tears. “I’m so sorry, Amethyst… I put you in danger.”  
  
Amethyst could hear the emotions in Pearl’s voice. She was still a bit confused, but she returned the hug. “Aw, it’s okay… I didn’t know that would happen, either. I was actually really sick? I don’t even remember anything since last… wait. What day is it? Is it still daytime? Did I transform when I was sick?” She pulled back from Pearl and sat up, examining herself. Pearl sat up as well.  
  
“No. It’s still a few hours until the moon rises. It’s still daylight out. You can see.” She pointed to the covered window, where the line of faint sunlight could still be seen.  
  
Amethyst looked back at Pearl and her expression became concerned. “You’re hurt…”  
  
“I’m alright,” Pearl assured her, wanting to wave it off. She didn’t think her burns even mattered compared to what Amethyst had gone through. She didn’t deserve attention from them. But obviously Amethyst didn’t see it that way because the woman cupped Pearl’s face in her hands, regarding her with worry.  
  
“Because you went outside in the daytime? Pearl… you shouldn’t have done that.”  
  
“I’m a bit burned, but they’ll heal,” Pearl replied. “You were so sick. It was worth the risk.”  
  
Amethyst looked heartbroken. “But look at your poor face… does it hurt?”  
  
“Just a little. How bad is it? I can’t see my own face. Do I look terrible?”  
  
“No, it’s not too bad…” Amethyst answered. “Aw you poor thing… Can’t Garnet make them better?”  
  
“I didn’t want her to.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because I…” Pearl felt a bit silly. “I wanted to punish myself for putting you in such a dangerous situation in the first place.”  
  
Amethyst stared at her. “But you didn’t know! It was an accident. And I’m fine, now!” She furrowed her brows. “Don’t do stuff like that. It was an honest mistake. I’m not mad at you.”  
  
“You could’ve died…” Pearl whimpered, her voice breaking. “I deserve to be a little bit uncomfortable, to remind myself of how much I could’ve lost…”  
  
“Pearl, don’t…” Amethyst hugged her, trying to be mindful of her burns. “Don’t be like this. Please…”  
  
“I’m sorry…” Pearl squeaked. She hugged Amethyst tightly. She gripped her fingers into her damp night gown. She took deep breaths, inhaling her scent until she was dizzy. “I hope you know… how much I love you.”  
  
She could feel that Amethyst was getting emotional as well, the way her breath hitched in her chest. “You stupid vampire,” she said, aggressively nuzzling Pearl’s shoulder. “I love you too. Fucking obviously.”  
  
Pearl pulled back from her, grabbing her by the face. She stared at Amethyst a moment, then smashed her lips against hers in a harsh kiss. Amethyst gripped her arms tightly in response, kissing back with just as much harshness. She pulled Pearl down onto to the bed with her, wrapping her arms around Pearl’s neck. Amethyst breathed between heated kisses, her tongue sticking out of her parted lips. Pearl had caught a bit of Amethyst’s long hair in the corner of her mouth. They gazed at each other. Amethyst lying under Pearl. Pearl smoothed back Amethyst’s hair with both hands.  
  
“Is it too soon?” Pearl asked, worriedly.  
  
“I don’t care…” Amethyst answered.  
  
Pearl chuckled. “I guess I don’t care, either.”  
  
“Tell me you love me again…” Amethyst whispered, leaning up and kissing Pearl again. She exhaled softly, rolling her body up against Pearl’s in a way that made the vampire shiver.  
  
“I love you…” Pearl responded, weakly. “Oh… you shouldn’t… entice me. We’re in Garnet’s bed…”  
  
“Say it again…”  
  
Pearl was surprised. She leaned heavily on top of Amethyst. “I love you.”  
  
Amethyst wriggled under her, biting her lower lip. “Oh… say it again, Pearl… please…”  
  
“Could it be that this is somehow a turn-on for you, Pet?” Pearl asked, amused. She kissed Amethyst’s neck. “I love you…”  
  
“Oh god…” Amethyst groaned.  
  
“I love you… I love you…” Pearl gently nipped Amethyst’s neck. “You’re so beautiful…”  
  
“Pearl…” Amethyst sighed.  
  
“I love you so much…” Pearl went back up to kiss Amethyst’s lips again. Her gasping and panting was just too much to resist. “I can’t believe today I could’ve lost you…”  
  
“Shh…” Amethyst kissed Pearl.  
  
“I can’t bring you home with me…” Pearl whispered.  
  
“I’m going home with you,” Amethyst answered, stubbornly. “I’m staying with you. If you can’t leave Candlewood, I’m staying at Candlewood.”  
  
Pearl was quiet. “But the house could make you sick again…” she protested. She felt Amethyst’s plush lips against her neck and the soft, heated contact sent her trembling.  
  
“I’m the worst on the full moon but the day after, I can handle silver with my bare hands. It’s like it gets worse up until I transform and then the next day, it’s almost totally better. I could just… I could just stay out when it’s the full moon. But I’m not gonna leave you all alone there. On the grounds with all those bodies.”  
  
“I told you. There aren’t any bodies,” Pearl mumbled. “Vampires turn to dust when they die.”  
  


“I’m sorry…” Amethyst said, softly. “How many were there…?”  
  
“Dozens… I don’t know exactly how many,” Pearl said, solemnly.  
  
“Were you friends with any of them?”  
  
“We were kept separated from each other most of the time,” Pearl answered. “When we weren’t needed, we were each kept in separate rooms in the East wing, in isolation. It wasn’t exactly the sort of environment that fosters a lot of friendships.”  
  
“Pearl…” Amethyst said, frowning. “Why do you stay there? Why don’t you go somewhere else? We could go somewhere… you and me.”  
  
Pearl smiled, softly. “Really?”  
  
“Yeah! Why not? I mean, I’ve been nomadic for basically my entire immortal life, but if you’re not into that idea, we could like…” She blushed. “We could settle down somewhere else…”  
  
Pearl settled in against Amethyst in the bed, feeling relaxed. “I do like the idea of having a permanent home somewhere. Somewhere we can stay during the winter where we’ll be nice and toasty warm.”  
  
Amethyst sighed, happily. “That sounds nice. I never really liked the winter outside. It would be nice to just hibernate with you in a warm place.”  
  
“It would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Pearl whispered. She traced her fingertips over Amethyst’s arm. “We could just curl up together into a nice cozy cocoon.”  
  
“Mm… that would be so relaxing… I’d love the winter, then.”  
  
“Me too…” Pearl agreed.  
  
“Um… listen…” Amethyst had begun to softly stroke Pearl’s hair. “I feel like I should tell you. When I came to Candlewood, I wasn’t looking for work. I was looking for-”  
  
“Jeremiah Candlewood’s notes. I know,” Pearl answered. “That’s why everyone from out of town comes to Candlewood.”  
  
“I thought maybe I could cure myself, somehow…” Amethyst admitted.  
  
“Cure what?”  
  
“Like… being a werewolf.”  
  
“But you were born that way. How would you cure it?” Pearl asked.  
  
“I dunno. I just… wanted to belong somewhere…” Amethyst replied. “Garnet told me that I could find a cure at Candlewood.”  
  
Pearl snorted. “Well that doesn’t seem right. Garnet knows better than anyone that Jeremiah Candlewood wasn’t trying to cure vampirism at all.”  
  
Amethyst felt a cold feeling in her chest. “He wasn’t…?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“What was he trying to do…?”  
  
Pearl was quiet for a moment. Amethyst had noticed that she seemed less guarded about discussing it than she had been when it had come up previously but she wasn’t sure why Pearl’s demeanor had changed. “He just wanted bodies.”  
  
“ _What?_ ”  
  
“We were just… bodies. He could reuse over and over. That’s all.”  
  
Amethyst had become tense. “Are you the only one who lived through it…?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Garnet knows all about it?”  
  
Pearl laughed but it was a cruel sort of laugh. “Garnet’s the one who _found_ me. Candlewood passed away naturally as an old man. Garnet found his body at the bottom of the stairs, years after the fact. Probably a heart attack. And then she found me. I was in the room… I was locked in my room. The last door on the right in the hall. That’s where he’d keep me most of the time. I didn’t know the others had died. But I guess at some point… I’d stopped hearing their wailing from their rooms.”  
  
“Pearl…” Amethyst spoke through grit teeth. Her breathing was shallow and her heart rate had increased. Pearl sat up, looking at Amethyst. Her expression wasn’t angry, sad or afraid. After telling Amethyst what had happened, she only wore a weary, beaten-down sort of smile.  
  
“There’s no point in getting angry about it, Amethyst…” she said, sadly. “There’s no point in feeling anything about it, honestly… no matter how I’ve approached it… it doesn’t make it feel more tolerable. As much as I wanted to make sense of what happened to me… as much as I wanted…” Her voice trailed off for a moment. Pearl swallowed. “I wanted it to mean something… after all those years of torture and pain, I just wanted it to mean something, in the end. But there wasn’t any meaning in what happened to me. It didn’t make the world look more beautiful. It didn’t make me resilient or patient or… anything. It was just a thing that happened. And it was completely pointless.”  
  
Amethyst regarded Pearl with a helpless, broken expression.  
  
“The only thing I had in the end, was that wretched house on that wretched land…” Pearl continued, lowering her gaze. “And I found that I couldn’t leave it… I felt like I was bound to it… but I didn’t realize that it was literal. The house is… a part of me, Amethyst. Literally. It’s a part of my body. I can control everything on that land. I can keep people out. I can keep people in. The land responds to my mental state. I can see who’s coming. I can make them go away if I want…”  
  
“Oh god, Pearl…” Amethyst wasn’t sure what to say.  
  
“I could walk away from it…” Pearl whispered. She hid her face in her hands. “That’s… that’s the funniest thing about this all. I _could_ go away. I could leave somewhere and start over. But I can’t… I _can’t_. I… I don’t know who I am without Candlewood. I don’t know how much of me there would be left, if I broke free from it…”  
  
Amethyst put her arms around Pearl, trying to comfort her as the vampire woman broke down into sobs.  
  
“It’s hurting you, now… Candlewood is hurting you. It’s poisoning you…” Pearl whimpered. “How can I let that happen…?”  
  
“Shh… Pearl… just take it easy…” Amethyst soothed. She sat Pearl in her lap and held her close, rocking her. “It’s okay… I’m okay… don’t even worry about that… I’m so sorry… I knew… I knew something bad had happened to you but I didn’t realize it was like that.”  
  
“Maybe I’m too damaged to deserve you,” Pearl said, thickly.  
  
“No, stop… Stop that…” Amethyst chided. “Just stop…” She held Pearl securely in her arms. She felt like she was partially in shock but she’d put aside her own feelings at the moment to comfort Pearl. Pearl was right. Who was there to be angry at anymore? But the anger was still there and Amethyst didn’t know where to put it. She didn’t know who to give it to or how to let it out. It was all pointless.  
  
Even knowing that, Amethyst didn’t feel any better. She just continued to hold Pearl until she felt calm. It was all she could do.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was honestly gearing up to be the transformation chapter, but I struggled with it at every turn and then decided to take it as some kind of sign and re-write the chapter completely. It's a bit on the short side when I read through it, but I think it'll set the stage for the next chapter. And I'm pretty happy with it :D I want to mention that I don't actually have any personal beef with Lapis or Jasper as characters. Whenever I have to write an "evil" character, I'll usually just make one up because SU's characters tend to be sympathetic and not really suited to just doing bad things. But as much as possible with these AUs, I do like to try and take the canon characters and put them into certain roles. I know that Jasper and Lapis in particular are such polarizing characters in the fandom and they tend to get people a bit riled up. Just because I write them like bastards in this story doesn't mean I think they're bad characters or anything. It's just an AU thing. 
> 
> I have friends who have been reading Candlewood and I'll occasionally probe them to see if they're picking up on stuff I'm trying to hint at and it didn't seem like it was always coming through. So I just had Pearl flat-out explain what happened to her and what her connection to Candlewood is. Maybe it was too on the nose? The thing with any of these fanfics I write is that I don't always start out with a solid plan of where to go. Ideas come to me as I progress and then I try to introduce them slowly. But I don't always get it right. Sometimes I do go back and tweak little things in earlier chapters to better set up reveals and ideas that I thought of later on, but I try to keep it at a minimum.


	9. Lunatics

“Look, this is not a great time,” the woman said, her tone agitated more than afraid. While not exactly cornered, she was off the main city roads and alone in an alley where she was currently being pestered by another woman that she didn’t recognize as one of the locals. The stranger had a strange, unappealing smell to her that left the woman’s throat feeling dry and scratchy every time she inhaled. She did her best to limit her breathing.

“Moon rise isn’t for hours,” Bismuth answered. “Look, I just need some information. I know you werewolves are kind of cliquey but this could really help some people I care about. Name your price.”  
  
The woman didn’t ask how the stranger knew she was a werewolf. She was obviously supernatural, like herself. Most other creatures claimed that werewolves had a stink that was unmistakable. She assumed it was just that.

“You have money?” the woman asked, her expression relaxing somewhat. Her eyes drifted down to the coin purse Bismuth had on her belt, curious. Bismuth took notice of it and she gave it a tap to emphasize it was full.

“Think what you could buy.”

The woman still seemed wary, even though she was clearly interested. “You’re what? A demon?”

“I’m a cambion.”

“What’s that?”

“Half-demon,” Bismuth answered. “Human father, succubus mother.” She explained it in a tone that seemed to suggest she was proud of that fact. In truth, although it had taken many years to come to peace with, Bismuth’s origins no longer troubled her. In some ways, she felt like she was a bridge, as were other half-breeds, between the two worlds. She worked mostly to keep the harmony between all the species and smooth out the natural friction and distrust they all seemed to hold for one another.

“I don’t really know if I wanna tell some half demon all the exploitable secrets of my species. No one likes werewolves except other werewolves. And even then…”

Among immortal races, werewolves did tend to be considered a lower class, due to the fact that they were seen as very unintelligent and beast-like. It was old-fashioned thinking, in Bismuth’s mind. The problem was that immortal creatures didn’t tend to die off all that quickly, and so the old ways of thinking could linger for a long time.

Werewolves in general were nervous, anxious creatures, aware of their low rank among supernatural beings. Despite their fearsome reputation among humans, they were typically quite timid and only acted ferociously when they felt provoked. They tended to keep to themselves and lived on the fringes of society where they tried to avoid conflict with other species. Bismuth had learned that from encountering many in her time. Almost all of them were just as uneasy around her and just as reluctant. And Bismuth couldn’t blame them for it.

She tapped her coins again. “Listen… I just wanna ask some questions. Just a short conversation. If you don’t know, fine. But if you do, I’d be really grateful.”

The woman sighed. “Alright,” she relented. “But don’t let this get around. I know we all act buddy-buddy in the neutral zones, but mixing of species is bad news.”

The two of them were fairly isolated, so there wasn’t much chance of being discovered or overheard. Bismuth paid the woman off and she eagerly counted the coins while Bismuth talked.

“So, I know there are different subspecies of werewolves and there are regional differences,” Bismuth began. “But have you ever heard of one that doesn’t bite?”

“Doesn’t bite?” The woman raised her dark eyes to the other woman.

“Yeah. This werewolf… she can’t turn anyone into a werewolf with a bite. She’s got a werewolf parent and a human parent. She’s pretty small, apparently. A lot smaller than a standard werewolf.”

The woman wrinkled her nose. “Sounds like a _Danbian_ werewolf, to me,” she cringed. Even among a “low-caste” group like the werewolves, Bismuth was aware that there was a hierarchy. She’d met others with differences between them. Some subspecies were larger, some were much more wolf-like in appearance, standing on four legs instead of two. Some looked more like wolf-human hybrids, with sparse fur and grotesque features. Some prowled the forests, some lurked in swamps. There were a wide variety of werewolf types and Bismuth was constantly learning about new ones every day. Much like human beings, werewolves as a group were incredibly diverse and the extent of their differences was only known to the werewolves themselves.

“From Danbis, y’know,” the werewolf woman explained. “Have you ever been to Danbis?”

“Years ago,” Bismuth admitted.

“Well then you know it’s a dirty country,” the woman said, pocketing her money. “Everyone who lives there is filthy and their homes are made of mud.”

“You’ve been there?” Bismuth asked.

“No, but that’s what I hear. Umm… I don’t know much about the Danbian werewolves because they’re pretty rare outside of Danbis. Maybe even there. They’re smaller, they’re not as vicious. Basically they get out-competed pretty much everywhere they go by proper werewolves like me. They pass their curse on to their children. I couldn’t do that. Werewolves always bear human children. It’s not a curse that can usually be passed on from parent to child, so it’s a mystery as to why Danbian werewolves are the one exception to that.”

“You don’t seem like you think much of them,” Bismuth noted.   
  
The woman shook her head. “Look, it might not make sense to you, but we all have our groups. Even among werewolves, we’ve got our groups. It’s the same as any humans who distrust people from other countries and cultures. It’s just the way it is.”

It was an all too common story for Bismuth and she didn’t have the time or inclination to try and change the heart and mind of a single werewolf woman on the eve of her monthly transformation. “I get it. It sounds like a match. If there’s really only the one group of werewolves that have that ability.”

“This friend… what’s wrong with her? I mean… what’s her problem?”

“Ah, well… we think a lycan either trailed her from the woods or has become active in the town because she’s there,” Bismuth answered. “I’m just trying to get a handle on these two. I don’t know if there’s a connection between them or if it’s just a coincidence. I just want to figure out how to help.”

“Oh yeah, a lycan’s bad news…” the woman said with a shudder.

“Lycans and werewolves never get along? But you’re both so similar.”

The woman made a disgusted face. “Do you know where lycans come from?” she asked. “You wouldn’t ask that if you knew.”

Bismuth was interested. “Tell me.”

—

When another employee, Rhodonite, was finally there to relieve her, Garnet rushed out of the inn and hurried to the butcher shop before it closed. Jasper was in the doorway when Garnet arrived, turning the sign from “open” to “closed”. She made a face at Garnet.

“We’re closed,” she said, gruffly. “It’s almost dark.”

“Please, it’s just one more order…” Garnet said. Jasper hesitated, looking annoyed. Then she sighed and opened the door for Garnet, while scowling upwards.

“Just get in here,” she groused. “Before someone sees you and thinks you’re the lycan.”

“Thank you, Jasper.”

“Whatever.”

Jasper put on her blood-stained apron and went behind the front counter. “More pig’s blood, I guess?” she asked, already going to get it. “For that bloodsucker.”

“I use the blood in spells. I’ve told you,” Garnet answered, sternly.

“I’m not stupid,” Jasper answered. She took some bottles out of the cellar and set then on the counter. “You don’t do spells like that.”

Garnet wanted to retort, but it was useless. Jasper was correct. Although Garnet didn’t count Jasper among her few friends, the woman was surprisingly perceptive of her and her business, to a degree that at times made Garnet uncomfortable. Jasper didn’t seem to be on friendly terms with most people in the town, but she seemed to get plenty of information about their personal lives and insecurities. In a kinder person, Jasper’s social intelligence could’ve manifested as charisma.

“I know you go up to Candlewood to feed that vampire. The only reason I do this for you is because that thing will come feed on people in town, otherwise.”

“She’s not a monster,” Garnet replied. Jasper was stubborn and bigoted. Garnet didn’t think there was much point in arguing with her beyond that. She didn’t want to stay and waste time when Pearl and Amethyst were at the inn.

“I wouldn’t like her moving in down the street, is all I’m saying,” Jasper answered. She studied the bottles. “Vampires drink _human_ blood, don’t they?”

“Any mammal’s blood can sustain them,” Garnet answered. She wondered if getting meat for Amethyst would be a good idea as well. She didn’t know what was a good choice for her.

“But they’re _made_ to prey on humans,” Jasper pointed out. “This vampire on the hill is just holding back her true nature. You ever wonder what would happen if she decided she was tired of living a restrained life? You can only go on so long, you know… never feeling satisfied.”

“Get me a pork shoulder and whatever venison you have left,” Garnet instructed, not feeling like taking Jasper’s bait.

Jasper retrieved the cuts of meat and packaged them for Garnet. “Does that vampire like pig’s blood the most?” Jasper asked. “I’d heard…” She grinned. “That human flesh tastes a lot like pork. Some people even say you couldn’t tell the difference.”

There was a sudden scream that pierced the air, followed by a greater commotion coming from outside the shop. Both women turned to the sound. Jasper started coming out from behind the counter. Through the glass door, they could see a massive creature in the twilight air. And it was attacking a man, shaking him like a ragdoll in its jaws until his cries had stopped. The man’s wife and children cowered nearby, screaming. A few townsfolk had charged out of their homes, armed with guns, pitchforks, whatever weapons they had on hand to fight the beast.

“That’s the lycan?” Jasper asked, her eyes wide. She gripped the counter to steady and ground herself.

“I’d say so, yes…” It was her first time seeing one, but the size and brutality of the creature, along with its superficial resemblance to a werewolf made its identity an easy guess. Garnet got up and headed for the door. “Stay inside.”

“Lapis isn’t home, yet!” Jasper protested. “I’m coming!”

She went to grab her rifle as Garnet rushed outside. The witch had markings etched in her skin, used to easily cast spells. She rolled up the sleeves of her cloak, focusing her energy on the lycan as she chanted a spell and the etchings slowly filled with light along her skin. With a wave of her hand, a ball of fire materialized and she hurled it towards the beast, hitting it against its cheek.

The damage wasn’t much, but the creature let out a wailing shriek of pain, regardless. It reeled back and then hunched over, snarling at Garnet. Blood dripped from its teeth. Jasper emerged behind Garnet with her gun and froze on the spot at the sight of the beast.

Garnet didn’t wait for her to react. Although the creature was angered by Garnet’s attack, its attention turned to the townspeople who were uselessly shooting at it. The bullets barely had an effect on it. Several bullet wounds seeped dark blood down the beast’s foul, mottled skin. But the wounds didn’t slow it down.

It lunged at the closest man with a rifle, knocking him over and closing its jaws around his head. With barely any effort, the creature wretched the man’s head and part of his spinal cord from the rest of his body, spraying bright red blood in an arc across the nearby shops.

“Get away! Get inside!” Garnet yelled to the townspeople. “You can’t kill it with guns! Stay back!”

The men weren’t listening. The lycan tore through the small group of them and knocked them violently to the ground like they were toys before it began to tear into them while they were too stunned or injured to run. Garnet cast another spell, aiming a beam of lightning at the lycan. Again, it left a mark on the beast but barely caused a reaction from it.

The humans it had attacked had been reduced to little more than a meaty pulp in the grass which the lycan hungrily scooped up in its jaws. Witnesses screamed and cried as the creature ate without concern of them. Garnet tried to cast a spell of protection but her mind couldn’t focus. The lycan’s massive jaws opened and closed as it chewed each meaty bite.

“Garnet, down!” someone called. Garnet reacted before she’d even registered the command, flinging herself onto the ground on her belly just as a projectile sailed over her head through the air. It was an arrow and it cleanly went through the lycan’s skull, just under its eye and out the back of its head.

The creature let out another pained shriek. It staggered, its long tongue lolling out of its mouth. Bloody foam ran from the corner of its mouth. Then it turned and ran from the town square. Bismuth ran to Garnet’s side, a crossbow in one hand.

“Sorry I’m late,” she apologized as she helped Garnet to her feet. “You alright?”

“We can’t let it get away,” Garnet said.

“Right. Come on!” The two of them gave chase but on all fours, the lycan was fast. The town streets were deserted, which Garnet was grateful for. But when the lycan finally cut into the woods, Garnet knew they were going to lose it.

They burst into the forest, Bismuth aiming the crossbow in the chance it was planning an ambush. The woods were dark and deathly silent. The foliage had been disturbed in a path in front of them and Garnet started to follow it. Bismuth grabbed her by the arm to stop her.

“We need a plan, remember?” she asked. Garnet turned to Bismuth with wide eyes.

“We can still catch it…”

“That thing is fast and strong. We chased it out of the town. That’s all that matters right now. It’s injured. If it’s one of the people in the town, that injury will be hard to explain away.”

Garnet took a deep, shaking breath. “I can’t believe it came into town like that…” she whispered. “I thought its hunting grounds were in the woods, but to do _this_.”

“Yeah…” Bismuth said, softly.

“And to think that it looks like a human most of the time…” Garnet shuddered.

“Look, Garnet… I’m not crazy about killing that thing, even if it is a threat. If it just went on its way and didn’t bother anyone in town again, that’s good enough for me. They’re legendarily hard to kill.”

Jasper suddenly ran up to them, clutching her gun. “Where is it?!” she demanded. “Where did it go??”

“It’s gone,” Bismuth answered. “For now. But that arrow will give it trouble for a while, at least. It’s got some silver in it. It may not kill the lycan, but that wound will fester and slow it down. That’s the hope, anyway.”

Jasper lowered her rifle, looking in the direction the lycan had obviously run. “I can track it.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Garnet snapped. “We have to go back into town…”

Jasper raised her shoulders, angrily. “You did some job protecting us, witch.” She took a bag off her shoulder and shoved it into Garnet’s arms. “Here. No charge,” she said, her tone disgusted. “Give my regards to that bloodsucker of yours.” She turned and stormed off, leaving the edge of the woods and returning to the town.

Bismuth snorted. “Yeah, not like you have a plan either, you hot head.” She turned back to Garnet, who was clutching the bag to her chest. The fact that Jasper even had the wherewithal to deliver her meat and blood was impressive, considering that Garnet hadn’t thought of it at all since the lycan had appeared.

“We’ll get it, Garnet,” Bismuth promised.

“Where were you?” Garnet asked, hoarsely. “Pearl and Amethyst are back at the inn.”

“Ah, really? But it’s a full moon, tonight.”

Garnet jolted. “Oh no, what time is it?” She ran from the woods and Bismuth followed her. The sky had become dark as night had settled over the town. Garnet ran through the streets as the lamps began to light up. There were wails and sobs all around her from people who emerged from their homes to survey the damage. Garnet wanted to stop and help them, but she had to check on Pearl and Amethyst. All she could do was tell them to go back inside as she ran past. 

As Bismuth and Garnet made it to the inn, the front doors flew open and Rhodonite came stumbling out in a panic. She immediately spotted Garnet approaching and she nearly collapsed against her as Garnet gripped her by the shoulders. “Tell me what’s happened!” Garnet cried.

Rhodonite turned back to the inn, pointing with a shaking finger. “It’s inside… the lycan’s inside…” she whispered.

“What?” Bismuth asked. She shot Garnet a quizzical look.

“Go into the tavern but don’t tell anyone about what you saw,” Garnet instructed Rhodonite. “We’ll handle this.”

“The guests…” Rhodonite protested, referring to the few people who were staying at the inn. None of them had been informed of the danger and most of them were still likely inside, unaware.

“It’s alright, they’ll be safe,” Garnet promised. She didn’t feel completely confident in promising such a thing, but Garnet didn’t know what else to do. If the lycan was inside the inn, a panicked group of people trying to get out would run right into its path, or so she reasoned.

“Please go,” Garnet urged. “I’ll send for you when this is resolved.”

Rhodonite nodded and whimpered. She hurried into the building next door.

Bismuth readied her crossbow and Garnet braced herself. The two of them stepped into the lobby of the inn. It was dark.

“Did the lycan loop back around and run in here?” Bismuth whispered.

“It’s possible…” Garnet answered. “It was fast.” But there weren’t any indicators to suggest that it had been inside the inn. A creature that size would’ve disrupted the lobby, and nothing appeared to be broken. It had also been bleeding profusely in several places and there wasn’t a trace of blood to be seen. Of course, a lycan could also shapeshift at will between its two forms. It was an ability that gave it yet another edge over them.

“If it’s really here, it’s being pretty careful. Guess it wants another face full of silver,” Bismuth said.

There was a roar from the shadows, loud and abrupt. Bismuth turned in surprise at the noise and she was thrown backwards by an unseen force, her body hitting the nearby wall. A decorative vase that had been positioned atop a pillar tumbled off the perch it was resting on and shattered onto the floor next to Bismuth.

Garnet started to react but something swiftly circled around her in the darkness, tackling her down against the floor. There was a snarling from the shadows and the sight of red eyes as a dark figure backed up and crouched, baring its fangs.

“Don’t you touch her…” it spoke in a voice that was low and threatening, but recognizable to Garnet right away.

“Pearl?!” the witch cried in exasperation. She got to her feet, wincing a little. Bismuth also struggled for a moment before she found her footing. She hissed as she pulled a shard of pottery from her arm and clamped her hand over the wound to stop the bleeding.

“Is that you, Pearl?” Bismuth asked. “Why are you attacking us?” Pearl’s eyes were sensitive to bright lights but in the dark she could see well, so she was clearly aware that the people she’d attacked were Garnet and Bismuth. Still, Garnet observed that Pearl was hanging back from them after the initial strike. She wasn’t out of control of her actions. She could’ve struck both of them again and taken advantage of their confusion, but she hadn’t.

Garnet moved carefully around the front desk, casting a light spell that lit the candles all around them. The shadows were still deep, but it was a bit easier to see.

Pearl was standing there, slightly crouched, her fangs bared, and still wearing her nightgown. Even knowing it was Bismuth and Garnet, she didn’t seem fully trusting of them. “Put that crossbow away, Bismuth…” she warned.

Bismuth reluctantly dropped the weapon and it clattered noisily on the floor. “Just take it easy, alright?” She held her hands up. “We’re all friends here. Come on…”

“Amethyst has transformed already,” Garnet realized, suspecting that Rhodonite had seen Amethyst and had mistaken her for the lycan.

“Yes…” Pearl answered.

“Oh yeah? Where is she?” Bismuth asked, looking around her for any sight of her. She wanted to get her first look at the mysterious Danbian werewolf.

Pearl glanced down one of the hallways. “She went down that way. If either of you go after her with weapons, I swear…”

“Whoa, Pearl! I won’t hurt your girlfriend, okay? We thought she was a lycan,” Bismuth said, worriedly. “No weapons, I promise. You know you can trust us… you can trust _me_ …”

The vampire’s eyes went from Bismuth to Garnet, looking for some sort of reassurance. Garnet gave a nod. Pearl finally seemed to relax. Her fearsome look faded into one of exhaustion. The red in her eyes flushed away in an instant.

Garnet reached into her bag and pulled out one of the bottles. “Here. Thought you might need this.” She tossed it to Pearl and Pearl caught it, tearing out the cork and chugging the blood down, hungrily.

“You have to remember to take care of yourself…” Garnet sighed.

“I’ve been distracted…” Pearl answered in a clipped voice. As always, her bodily systems seemed to awaken with the introduction of blood and the change in her appearance was noticeable. Garnet started to offer up a second bottle to Pearl but the vampire refused it.

“I can’t overdo it or I’ll lose focus. We need to find Amethyst,” she said.  
  
The three of them made their way down the hallway, cautiously. Garnet kept the lights dim.

“I overslept,” Pearl explained as they walked, with the vampire leading the way. “She must’ve changed while I was sleeping. She went down the stairs on her own and the next thing I knew, that woman was screaming about the lycan. I came down and Amethyst had run off.”

They stopped at a doorway at the end of the hall that was slightly ajar. “The kitchen,” Garnet explained. She gently put her hand against the door to push it open. “Amethyst, we’re coming in,” she announced.  
  
They stepped inside and immediately startled at the sounds of pots clattering to the floor and the sounds of nails clicking against the kitchen tiles as the creature made her hasty retreat from the door. The shadowy figure scurried back and hid under a nearby table, peering distrustfully at the three of them.

Pearl stepped forward, separating herself from Garnet and Bismuth. “Amethyst? Don’t be scared… It’s me. We won’t hurt you.” She took a few steps to the table and was greeted with a canine snarl. Pearl didn’t even flinch. She crouched down to peer under the table, holding her arm out. “Come on, it’s okay…” she whispered.

Bismuth and Garnet stayed by the door, feeling like their presence would spook Amethyst and agitate her further.

The werewolf hunkered down under the table didn’t move from her spot, but she also didn’t retreat when Pearl reached for her. Pearl scooted in closer, her hand outstretched. The werewolf made a little rumble in her throat. Her ears were flat against her skull and the fur along her back was sticking up. She was clearly frightened. But then Pearl managed to get close enough to touch her cheek. It was a vulnerable position and it would’ve been easy for Amethyst to turn her head and bite her hand.

For a second, it seemed as though that was what Amethyst was going to do. She turned her head sharply, putting her mouth against Pearl’s hand. But instead of biting, she sniffed. Pearl’s scent was that of a vampire, usually a trigger for any werewolf to react violently. But it was a scent that was also familiar and comforting. Amethyst began to relax. She was afraid more than she was looking for a fight and realizing Pearl was there to protect her made her feel more at ease. She closed her eyes, whining softly. She nuzzled her wet nose into Pearl’s palm and began to wag her tail.  
  
Pearl smiled, her breath rushing out of her lungs in a sigh of relief. “You’re alright…” she said, soothingly. “You know I’d never hurt you… and as long as I live, I’ll make sure no one else hurts you, either.” The werewolf gave a nod. Pearl held her arms out to Amethyst and the werewolf hesitated a moment before she scooted forward, into Pearl’s embrace.   
  
“Rrrrruurl,” Amethyst said. It sounded mostly like a growl.

Pearl held her and lifted her up, standing. Amethyst clutched at Pearl’s night gown. She pressed her snout against Pearl’s shoulder. Bismuth stared at the two of them with wide eyes and she put a fist to her mouth to supress the urge to squeal at the sight.

“Okay, that’s the cutest werewolf I’ve ever seen,” she exclaimed, gleefully. “I can’t believe that’s a werewolf. She looks like a little pup!”

Amethyst’s ears perked up and then she growled again. Pearl tutted at her. “No, don’t make that noise at Bismuth. She’s a friend. And you _are_ cute.”

Amethyst settled in Pearl’s arms, making a displeased sound.

“Well… at least she’s marginally docile,” Garnet sighed. “That makes it a bit easier.”

“She seems very animalistic, though… that’s normal?” Pearl asked, looking to Bismuth.

“Yeah, werewolves are usually pretty wolfy and most of them can’t talk in this form. It’s normal, don’t worry.”

“That’s a relief…” Pearl sighed. Amethyst growled again. “I meant that it’s normal for you, not that you can’t talk! Honestly.”

“So… should we get out of here?” Bismuth asked. She awkwardly gestured to the kitchen that had been left totalled by Amethyst’s rooting around.

“I need to come up with some sort of cover story…” Garnet mumbled. The four of them exited the kitchen, with Pearl carrying Amethyst. The werewolf seemed completely content to be carried and she didn’t struggle at all in her arms. It didn’t really help her shake her image of being cute, but Amethyst seemed to feel secure being held by Pearl more than she was concerned about how it looked. They didn’t get far back down the hall before running into Rhodonite, who had nervously returned because she was worried about Garnet. When she caught sight of Amethyst, she thrust her finger out towards her and tried to choke out a scream that only came out sounding like a squeak. Amethyst bared her fangs at her and growled.

“Is that the lycan?!” Rhodonite asked, fearfully. She cowered from the group.

“She’s not the lycan, don’t worry,” Garnet assured her. She was nervous about having Rhodonite being aware of Amethyst being there because none of them knew exactly who the lycan was in the town. Garnet was certain it wasn’t Rhodonite, but there was a chance she knew the lycan without realizing it. That went for all of them.

“She’s just… a breed of dog!” Pearl said. Rhodonite didn’t seem to buy it.

“That’s not a dog…”  
  
Garnet stepped forward and began trying to usher Rhodonite away from Bismuth, Pearl and Amethyst. “We need to prepare a room for those two, they’re staying here tonight,” Garnet explained, hastily. She herded Rhodonite back into the lobby, leaving Pearl and Bismuth on their own for the time being. As the pair left, Pearl and Bismuth could hear Rhodonite trying to protest, and asking questions. Bismuth chuckled to herself.

Poor Garnet… Here, we can wait in my room,” Bismuth suggested. She produced her room key and beckoned for Pearl to follow her. Pearl didn’t see much of a choice. It was either that or wait in the hallway. She didn’t know how many people were currently staying at the inn, but she didn’t need other guests or employees seeing Amethyst when the entire town was on lycan alert.

Bismuth led Pearl to her room, opening the door and walking inside. Pearl stepped into the doorframe and her body jerked to a sudden halt, right where she was. Amethyst whined and tilted her head around to try and look at Pearl. Bismuth wandered further into the room and then turned to look. She sputtered a laugh. “This isn’t my inn!”

“It’s your room, though,” Pearl answered. “It counts.”

“Okay, you’re right. I invite you in,” Bismuth said, sweeping her arm out. Pearl stepped into the room and she closed the door behind her.

“Usually we stay at your place, so I always forget,” Bismuth said with a chuckle. She took a seat on the edge of her bed, sighing and kicking off her boots. “Come on in, take a load off,” she said. “It’s been way too long, Pearl. You have to tell me what this whole situation is…” She pointed to Amethyst.

Pearl took a seat in a chair next to the bed and she set Amethyst down. The werewolf began exploring around the area, notably finding and tipping over the wastebasket almost immediately.

“Hey!” Bismuth scolded.

Amethyst snarled at her before she hurried back to Pearl’s side and sat on the floor at her feet.

“Looks like you’re the alpha,” Bismuth chuckled.

“I’m always the alpha.”

“That’s true.”

“It’s good to see you, Bismuth…” Pearl said, smiling. “You remind me of how much of a shut in I am.”

“You and Garnet both. You two just love this town.”

“I wouldn’t say I _love_ it, but it’s home to me,” Pearl answered with a shrug. “I like to stay put.”

“Not me. I love traveling. You’d probably like it too if you tried it.”

“It would be hard for me,” Pearl answered. “And potentially dangerous…”

“Hey, the world isn’t as close-minded as it used to be. And I’d protect you from anyone who tried to rush you with holy water and a stake.”

“You’re too kind,” Pearl giggled.

Bismuth leaned forward on the bed, giving Pearl an inquiring look. “Soooo?”

Pearl felt herself blush. “So?”

“Introduce me,” Bismuth said, gesturing to Amethyst.

“O-oh… um, well…” Pearl looked down at Amethyst, who was sitting on the floor, leaning against her leg. She glanced up at Pearl and began to wag her tail. Pearl smiled and touched the top of her head. “Bismuth, this is Amethyst… I’m meeting her werewolf form for the first time, too.”

Bismuth smiled. “Nice to meet you, Amethyst. I hope you’re helping Pearl get out of her comfort zone a bit.”

“I’m already so far out of my comfort zone that I’m reeling,” Pearl said.

“By the way, Amethyst… I heard you’re called a Danbian werewolf. You’re pretty unique, from what I learned, but you’re far from the only one of your kind.”

Amethyst didn’t react to the statement except to tilt her head to one side. Pearl was interested, though. “A Danbian werewolf… you did mention you were from Danbis.”

Amethyst’s ears perked up and she suddenly tensed, getting to her feet and letting out a growl. A few moments later there was a knock at the door.

“It’s me,” Garnet called.

“Come on in, it’s unlocked,” Bismuth answered. Garnet entered the room, bringing in Bismuth’s crossbow and the things she’d brought from the butcher. Amethyst could smell the meat right away and she perked right up, sauntering over to Garnet and standing on her tiptoes as she sniffed, trying to get her face into the bag of meat. Garnet held it out of Amethyst’s reach but the little werewolf wasn’t deterred and tried to climb up Garnet’s body.

“Amethyst! That’s rude!” Pearl got up and tugged the werewolf away from Garnet.

“Careful with that crossbow, too…” Bismuth took it from Garnet and crossed the room to put it inside the dresser drawer.

Garnet set the bag down on the floor in defeat and Amethyst immediately leapt from Pearl’s arms and practically crawled inside the bag to retrieve the food. She pulled out the cuts of meat one by one. Pearl turned to Garnet.

“Oh, Garnet, that’s too generous… I didn’t bring any money with me, but I’ll pay you back for this.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Garnet answered with a smile. “Jasper didn’t even charge me.”

“Jasper?” Pearl asked.

“Oh, that woman with the gun,” Bismuth said. “Something about her rubs me the wrong way, you know…”

“She rubs a lot of people in town the wrong way,” Garnet replied. “Her and her partner, Lapis, moved into town about five years ago and all they seem to do is sow discord.” She sat on the floor, watching Amethyst messily devour the venison cuts. She didn’t seem interested in the pork shoulder, though. Garnet was glad she’d decided on both, since pork didn’t seem to be Amethyst’s favourite.

“Why did she have a gun?” Pearl asked.

Garnet and Bismuth exchanged a look.

“The lycan came into town tonight and it attacked, killed and… ate some people,” Bismuth said, grimly.

Pearl’s eyes widened. “That’s horrible…”

“We chased it off into the woods and Bismuth got it in the eye with an arrow, but it’s still at large, I’m afraid…” Garnet murmured. She hung her head.

“And Candlewood manor isn’t safe now, either…” Pearl sighed. “At least not for Amethyst.”

“We don’t know now if the lycan is even looking for Amethyst specifically,” Garnet replied. “It seems like it was just… hungry.”

There was a brief lull in the conversation as the group marinated in the tension in the air. Garnet finally directed her attention to Pearl.

“By the way, now that everything’s settled down, I still wanted to take a look at your burns, Pearl,” Garnet said.

Pearl sighed. “Alright…” she relented. She took a seat on the floor next to Garnet while the witch dug around for some supplies. Bismuth watched from her seat on the bed.

“I was going to ask, but I didn’t want to be rude,” she said with a chuckle. “Got a bit of a sunburn, eh Pearl?”

“It was nothing,” Pearl answered. She’d been burned when she was worried about Amethyst and running on adrenaline. She hadn’t felt the pain much at all.

Garnet mixed up a few ingredients in a mortar with a pestle. She’d treated burns on Pearl the day she’d found her and a handful of times since. Although Pearl could heal on her own, it would take a few days. Healing her burns was a fairly mundane part of their friendship by that point.

Amethyst took notice of what Garnet was doing and she went over to sit next to Pearl and watch. She’d made short work of the deer meat and had mostly been gnawing the bones by that point. Garnet added a liquid to mix the ingredients into a paste. It was a greenish-grey and had a strong, medicinal smell that always offended Pearl’s sensitive nose.

Garnet dipped her hand into the mortar and coated her fingers in the paste. She applied a small amount to one of the burned areas on Pearl’s face and the vampire hissed at the stinging sensation.

Amethyst took notice of Pearl’s pain and she aggressively nudged Garnet’s hand away from Pearl, growling a warning and bristling her fur.

“Amethyst, it’s fine,” Pearl assured her. She was touched that Amethyst seemed so protective and concerned. “It’s to heal the burns I have, that’s all.”

Amethyst whimpered, looking to Pearl with her big, dark eyes. Pearl sighed and she smoothed Amethyst’s ears back, kissing her snout. In response, Amethyst licked Pearl’s nose. “Don’t worry,” Pearl said, speaking softly to her. “Everything is okay.”

Amethyst let out a sigh and she crawled into Pearl’s lap, resting her chin against her shoulder and putting her arms around her. Pearl couldn’t help but lean into her embrace, closing her eyes. She liked the way Amethyst’s fur felt against her skin. For a moment, Pearl thought about how good it would feel if her nightgown wasn’t between them. And the resulting mental image briefly warmed her core. She immediately pushed away the thought, inwardly scolding herself for thinking such a thing at that inappropriate moment. But when Pearl opened her eyes again, Amethyst had pulled back from her and was staring at her with an intense expression that, in Pearl’s mind, bordered on predatory.

“Amethyst, I’m just applying this balm to Pearl’s burns to make her feel better,” Garnet said. Amethyst’s attention turned to Garnet as the witch took hold of Pearl’s arm and gently dabbed some of the mixture onto the skin. Amethyst whined and fidgeted in Pearl’s lap but Pearl held her fast.

“Leave it,” Pearl said, trying to sound stern. Pearl could feel Amethyst’s tension. Although she outwardly looked still, inside she was strung up tight, poised like she was ready to lunge at Garnet at any moment. She wrinkled her muzzle, exposing her teeth and she began to quietly but persistently growl in her impatience. Pearl tried not to flinch at Garnet applying the medicine to her burns, but she couldn’t help it. And every time she did, she had to tighten her grip around the werewolf to hold her steady.

Garnet worked as quickly as she could, knowing Amethyst was agitated. She wasn’t interested in getting a bite from Amethyst even if she was small. Still, the witch didn’t want to rush through the job and leave Pearl with some areas that weren’t healed.

Bismuth had wisely decided not to step in at the moment, since Amethyst was on edge and probably wouldn’t appreciate someone else getting involved. But she was ready if needed. Amethyst was a small werewolf but even small animals could be trouble if they got aggressive enough. The next few minutes were tense and silent except for Amethyst’s rumbling growls. But at last it was complete. Garnet had applied the paste to every burn, which made Pearl look a bit like she was wearing a mud mask.

“Alright…” Garnet exhaled. “That’s that.”

Amethyst studied Pearl’s face and then tried to get to work licking the stuff off her skin. Pearl put a hand over her muzzle, only to feel Amethyst’s tongue licking the palm of her hand instead. “We have to leave it on for a while. I know it looks a bit silly. It’s also probably not good for you to eat.” She looked at Garnet for clarification.

“It probably wouldn’t do her any serious harm, but I wouldn’t recommend ingesting it, no.”

Garnet got to her feet. “By the way… Rhodonite and I prepared a room for you two. The windows are completely covered, so you can sleep during the day.”

“Oh… thank you, Garnet…” Pearl said with a smile. She wanted to protest staying at the inn, but the alternative was returning to Candlewood and risking Amethyst getting sick again. She felt like she didn’t have a choice, unless she wanted to leave Amethyst alone. The thought wasn’t appealing to Pearl, but neither was leaving her stronghold.

Pearl’s grip on Amethyst had completely loosened but the werewolf didn’t leave her lap. She’d started to sniff and lick Pearl’s neck and push herself up against Pearl. She began to whine and fidget.

“I can show you to your room now if you want,” Garnet said.

Pearl gave her a quizzical look. The night was still young and she’d barely had a chance to catch up with Bismuth. But Garnet’s tone suggested she was impatient or eager to get Pearl out of the room. Pearl stood up, keeping Amethyst in her arms. “Oh… alright?” She glanced over her shoulder at Bismuth but the woman just shrugged.

“I suppose… I’ll call it a night, then,” Pearl said to Bismuth as Garnet started herding her out the door.

“See you, Pearl.”

Pearl and Amethyst’s room was down the opposite hall and Garnet unlocked the door and opened it. Pearl stepped inside. It was much like Bismuth’s room but it had a second door at the back of the room that Pearl initially mistook for a closet. Garnet noticed her looking and she went to the door and opened it. It opened out into the courtyard.

“I thought it better you had a room like this,” Garnet explained. “In case Amethyst needs to do her business outside, or run around a bit.”

Pearl nodded. “That’s fine, Garnet. But why the rush?”

Garnet looked awkward. “I just saw something happening that could’ve been embarrassing for you and Amethyst...”

Pearl didn’t know how to take that and Garnet didn’t elaborate. So the vampire simply responded with “Alright…”

“The rest of the blood is stored in here…” Garnet gestured to the ice box. “Amethyst didn’t touch the pork shoulder so I hope she got enough to eat…” The witch looked at the werewolf who had wriggled out of Pearl’s arms and was inspecting the new room.

“I’m sure she’ll be alright. She’ll have to be. She can always get up tomorrow morning and eat, too. She’ll be human then.”

“That’s true,” Garnet said. “Try to keep her from destroying the room.”

Pearl giggled. “I’ll do my best. Thank you, Garnet.”

Garnet gave a nod and she left the room, closing the door and leaving Pearl and Amethyst alone. Pearl tested the bed first with her hands, then by lying on her back on it. Pearl was very particular about her sleeping situation, as it was when she tended to be at her most vulnerable. Presumably they were safe enough in the room at the inn, but in her own house, Pearl knew absolutely no one could get to her or Amethyst.

Pearl noticed a basin near the window and she went over to it to wash the muddy paste off her skin. There was a mirror hanging right above it, but when Pearl looked into it, only the washcloth she held and her nightgown could be seen in the reflection. She had to use her best judgement. She wet the cloth and began to remove the paste, first on the spots she could see on her arms and chest. She rinsed the cloth, wrung it out and put it over her face, rubbing gently. She knew where her burns were so she was fairly sure she could remove it all. She already missed her special mirror at home.

She also missed having a change of clothes. She’d been wearing the same nightgown since the previous night. She realized that Amethyst’s nightgown was probably still up in Garnet’s room.

“Maybe I should run and get that…” Pearl murmured. She looked over towards the bed, where Amethyst was sitting. It seemed like a silly thing to worry about right at that moment. She also didn’t want to leave Amethyst alone in the room.

Pearl set the cloth down on the edge of the basin, turning fully to look at Amethyst.

“It’s strange, you not being able to talk,” Pearl said. “It makes me feel like I have to talk more to fill the silence.”

Amethyst opened her mouth and sat up straighter on the bed. She made a few raspy breaths at first. Some rumbling syllables finally tumbled out with what seemed like a great deal of effort on her part. Although her speech was garbled, Pearl understood her words after taking a second to process them.

“Hard to talk… sorry.”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel like you have to,” Pearl said, frowning and feeling guilty immediately. “Please don’t force yourself. I don’t want you to hurt your poor vocal chords.”

Amethyst nodded. Pearl walked back over to the bed and she took a seat on the mattress. Amethyst turned to face her, her tail thumping against the bed. Pearl smiled warmly at her.

“In all the excitement, I haven’t had a chance to really look at you…” She reached out with her hands, her fingers flexed, then paused. “Er… is it alright to… touch you?” Amethyst nodded. Pearl gently put her hands on Amethyst’s ears. They were so soft to the touch and the vampire gave them a good scratch that Amethyst seemed to enjoy.

Amethyst’s werewolf features were highly neonatal, much more so than Pearl had expected. With her large, wide eyes, shorted snout and big ears, Amethyst resembled a puppy much more than she looked like a fearsome werewolf. Although Amethyst had always seemed embarrassed and unhappy with her werewolf form, Pearl found it appealing. She looked cute and cuddly, not unlike how she looked as a human. It came as a relief to Pearl that she didn’t feel any trepidation towards Amethyst. The vampire had been worried that she was going to find Amethyst’s werewolf form repulsive, simply because of the longstanding hatred between their species. But Amethyst was still very cute.

She’d retained her human joints and proportions for the most part. She was sitting on the bed with one leg out and one leg tucked under her. She appeared to still have her human breasts, although they were covered with fur. Her nails on her hands and feet had been replaced with black claws. Since she was bipedal, her feet resembled paws, down to the black pads on the bottom. Her hands, however, still looked and behaved mostly like hands. Pearl lifted one up to touch and study. The claws made her nervous because she was worried they’d snag on something. Like her nightgown.

“I guess I’ll just take this off,” Pearl said, slipping the garment off over her head. She let it drop to the floor. She glanced at Amethyst for a moment, then removed her panties as well.

Amethyst licked her lips.

“You look like you want to eat me,” Pearl said with a giggle. She was quiet a moment, looking thoughtful. Her eyes went to the window, where the full moon wasn’t yet visible from her vantage point, but the night outside was illuminated by its glow. “If you need to go outside, we should go sooner rather than later. Do you need to run around in the courtyard?”

Amethyst wasn’t quite listening. She was looking over Pearl’s nude body with fascination, like she was seeing it for the first time. Her eyes were wide and intense. Pearl took notice and she bit her lip, sitting back in a more recumbent pose. She sighed, pretending to be casual and aloof as she slowly ran her fingertips up the curve of her stomach, angling her gaze away from Amethyst and trying to look disinterested. Amethyst shifted closer.  
  
“You’re staring,” Pearl said, softly. She turned to lock gazes with Amethyst. “ _Pet_.”

Amethyst sat up straighter, a shudder going up her spine. Pearl smirked. She sat herself up. Her pose was open and inviting, but Amethyst remained planted on the mattress in her spot, seemingly conflicted over what to do.

“What is it?” Pearl asked, her voice smooth and alluring. “Did you want to mate with me, tonight? That’s what you’d talked about before. I’m ready for you, if you want me.” Amethyst’s ears flattened down against her head. She averted her eyes from Pearl and looked downwards. She tucked her hands between her legs, appearing embarrassed.

“I know you mentioned that part… changes,” Pearl spoke. “But it’s completely alright with me.”

Amethyst didn’t seem convinced. Pearl leaned in and cupped her face, trying to get her to look at her. “Amethyst… it’s really fine. If you’re uncomfortable, there’s absolutely no pressure to be intimate. But if this is something you wanted to do, I’m fine with that too. You know I love you no matter what.”

Amethyst whined. She looked back at Pearl, her eyes so wide and trusting. Pearl kissed her nose, which seemed to make Amethyst reflexively try to lick her. Pearl found it endearing. She kissed her nose again and again Amethyst’s cute pink tongue darted out to try and lick her. Pearl giggled.

“You’re very cute, you know. I know you don’t like this form very much, but I really do… you look so sweet. I just want to…” Pearl pressed in closer to her, finally allowing herself to feel Amethyst’s fur against her bare skin. “I just want to be close to you…” The vampire sighed and closed her eyes. She drew Amethyst in close, into her lap, and embraced her. She scrunched her fingers into the fur on her back, enjoying the feeling of it running between her fingers. “I hope you don’t mind if I just shamelessly stroke you…”

Amethyst relaxed in her hold. She nuzzled Pearl’s shoulder but she was mindful of her claws against Pearl’s skin. Pearl continued to stroke Amethyst’s fur, keeping her touches chaste. She didn’t want to put any pressure on Amethyst to do anything she wasn’t comfortable with, but she did want to reassure her that she was beautiful and desirable to Pearl, regardless.

“I love you…” Pearl whispered, tenderly. “You’re very beautiful.”

Amethyst made a soft whine that sounded like a weak protest.

“It’s true. You’re absolutely stunning.” Pearl gripped Amethyst’s fleshy hips. Pearl could feel her desire beginning to surge. Her body couldn’t help but react to Amethyst, whether she was a human or a werewolf, apparently. “Ohh… your fur feels so good against my skin... It’s too bad you only change once a month because… mm… I could just imagine how cozy it would be this winter, being all wrapped up in this warm fur.”

Amethyst had a strong scent to her, a muskier smell than she usually had. Pearl found herself inhaling it deeply, feeling her arousal growing stronger while also becoming lightheaded. Pheromones were the first thing that came to mind, although Pearl hadn’t thought that a vampire such as herself would have any reaction to such a thing.

Amethyst was beginning to pant, heavily. She licked Pearl’s neck and Pearl leaned back, tilting her head for easier access. She linked her fingers together behind Amethyst’s neck to anchor herself to the werewolf as she leaned. “Mmm… that feels nice…”

Pearl leaned further, trying to ease Amethyst down onto the bed with her. Amethyst relented, lying on top of Pearl. She gazed down at her for a moment, looking uncertain. Then she carefully went in for a kiss. Her muzzle made it a little awkward but it only took them a second to adjust to it before Pearl was eagerly throwing her arms around Amethyst and returning the kiss. It was wilder, messier kissing than usual, mostly due to Amethyst’s reflexive desire to lick. But Pearl still enjoyed it. She let Amethyst’s active tongue delve into her mouth and Pearl let her take over.

Amethyst began to kiss and bite Pearl’s neck. Her teeth were much sharper and longer than usual, but she had the wherewithal to be careful as she lovingly nipped at Pearl’s throat. Pearl loved it. She gripped Amethyst’s fur in her hands as the werewolf bit and licked down her body.

Amethyst began to push her hips up and into Pearl’s with intense force. At every point of contact, Pearl gasped into Amethyst’s mouth. They were both aroused. That much was obvious. And before long, Amethyst’s arousal made itself known to Pearl when her phallus unsheathed itself and pulsed heatedly between their bodies.

Pearl felt it brush against her stomach and she raised herself up onto her elbows to try and get a look at it. Under Pearl’s gaze, Amethyst seemed to lose her nerve and she let out a whine. Pearl stroked her fur again, trying to comfort her.  
  


“I know this feels strange to you…” Pearl said, softly. “And you’ve never experienced intimacy or even… care of any kind, while in this body.”

Amethyst raised her dark eyes to look at Pearl.

“But it was the same as before. You came to me out of the wilderness and you’d been alone for so long… and the first night we met, we were intimate with each other, weren’t we?” Pearl smiled. “You were nervous then, too. It was all very new to you, but you allowed it.”

Amethyst sighed and she nodded.

“I hope I never pushed you…” Pearl murmured. Amethyst shook her head.

“You didn’t,” Amethyst said with a shake of her head. As with before, her minimal speech came out garbled and seemed to take effort to produce.

“Shh… don’t talk…” Pearl whispered. She kissed Amethyst again but it was brief. Her fingers slowly cupped the back of Amethyst’s neck. “May I…?” Pearl asked, nodding downwards. “It looks awfully uncomfortable.”   
  
Amethyst probably would’ve blushed if she were capable. Her ears flattened down and she glanced away. But she nodded, shyly. Pearl gently cupped her hand between Amethyst’s leg, feeling the heat there. She let her hand slowly move over the length of Amethyst’s shaft, getting a feel for the size of it. She could feel Amethyst’s pulse faintly through it. Amethyst was nervously watching Pearl as she explored her new body, perhaps primed to be rejected. When Pearl noticed her worried expression, she tried to soothe her with another kiss.   
  
“How does it feel when I touch it? Is it sensitive?” Pearl gripped her fingers around it and pumped her hand up and down a few times. Amethyst whined and she nodded.   
  
“Poor thing… poor little wolf…” Pearl murmured, fondly. She stroked up and down. “It must’ve been so lonesome for you…”   
  
Amethyst didn’t answer but she inwardly thought that she hadn’t been that lonely. She loved being outside, chasing the moon and running through the misty forest. But… she loved being with Pearl more. She decided that and then nodded once as if to settle the decision into place in her head. Pearl was hers. More importantly, she was Pearl’s.

Through her wolf eyes, Pearl was soft and glowing like the image of her was just slightly out of focus. Angelic. Her scent was always faint. But as a wolf, Amethyst could smell it more clearly. Winter air. If that was possible. The smell of winter air. She liked the smell of her. She liked the way her hand felt wrapped around her cock. She liked that Pearl always seemed to take charge. Her eyes were lowered, her expression serene. As though she’d done this before. Amethyst was pretty sure she hadn’t but her wolf brain muddled things. Maybe Pearl had let other werewolves mate with her. Maybe an entire pack of them, one after another, spreading her out over the ground and descending over her naked body.

“Amethyst?” Pearl heard her growl, faintly.

Amethyst was embarrassed that she growled over something that didn’t even happen. Her mind kept running around on her. Everything was so vivid. Everything around Pearl was moving and pulsating. Pearl was the only thing in her vision that wasn’t shimmering. She told herself she needed to be brave. She needed to take the lead. And so she did.

“A-Amethyst!”

Pearl was pushed down to the bed. Amethyst liked her thighs. She always wanted to shamelessly touch them. They were so soft. Amethyst ran her fingertips over the inside of them. Pearl gasped and winced at her claws as they ran over the sensitive skin. She looked afraid. She looked like prey.

“Mine,” Amethyst growled, possessively. She wanted to bite her neck. Not hard. Just enough for Pearl to feel it.

Pearl blushed. She shyly opened her thighs. All at once, the air was thick with the warm smell of her arousal. Amethyst looked down between them. Her cock was red, stiff and pulsing impatiently, ready to be buried in that heated place between Pearl’s legs.

Amethyst hesitated. Her human side was faint, but she stopped herself a moment. A few words rang out in her head, spoken in a voice that sounded like her own, but also not.

_The point of no return._

Maybe things would change between her and Pearl. Maybe nothing would change.

“Do it,” Pearl commanded suddenly, her voice a harsh whisper.

Amethyst looked down, meeting Pearl’s eyes. Pearl no longer looked like prey. She looked like a predator. She looked like she was in control again. Telling Amethyst what to do. Urging her forward. The vampire lifted her white hips to meet Amethyst’s. The werewolf entered Pearl in one thrust. Pearl made a satisfied hum, closing her eyes and tilting her head back.

“That’s it…” she groaned. “That’s it, Pet…”

Pearl wasn’t always comfortable being submissive to her lovers. Spread out under Amethyst like that, she felt the need to move with the werewolf, coach her verbally, do something to feel less like she was prey. Amethyst was hot and heavy against her, panting and thrusting, shaking the bed with her force. Her movements were frenzied; she was reduced to an animal in heat. Pearl stroked her fur as Amethyst moved. She had such a strong smell. Her musk was everywhere. It was nearly overwhelming.

Her cock was so hot and thick inside Pearl. It felt so strange, being penetrated by such a thing. Pearl had been worried it wouldn’t fit or it wouldn’t be shaped properly. But Amethyst had gone in smooth, despite her girth. Pearl felt like her insides were molded to nestle her werewolf lover comfortably inside.

There was a sudden sensation in Pearl’s chest that she realized was her heart beating rapidly. Her heart beat so slowly most of the time that it was barely perceivable. But at that moment it was wildly thumping inside her ribcage, to her bewilderment. She felt heat all over her body, rising off her skin, which was becoming flushed and dewy. Her breathing was also heavy and laboured. Her lungs felt starved of oxygen. She felt like her consciousness was inhabiting a body that wasn’t hers. Even the pleasure she was beginning to feel had a strange unfamiliarity to it.

Pearl directed her gaze to Amethyst’s face, as if Amethyst might be able to explain it to her. But instead, a thought entered her mind, along with a sense of anxiousness.

_You’re mine. Mine, mine, mine._

It was Amethyst. Amethyst was inside her. Beyond a simple physical connection. Amethyst’s thoughts were in her head. Her sensations were in her body. Her mind began to cloud with Amethyst’s thoughts and she could do nothing to stop it. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to, anyways. All the flashes of the forest and the urge to run in it. The predatory drive to kill and eat. The intense possessiveness. The pleasure.

Pearl felt so completely smothered by Amethyst. She was drowning in her. Losing herself in her. Her hands clutched the werewolf’s fur to try and hold onto something real, but she could also feel herself gripping the bedsheets at the same time. She was looking up at Amethyst with wide eyes, but she was also looking down at herself laid out on the bed, staring. She could see Amethyst and herself at the same time, switching between the two views in her mind.

She could feel her own insides around Amethyst’s cock. She could feel how silky and wet she was. How she would grip Amethyst inside her. Her mouth fell open. She felt her hands grip her own hips. She didn’t know who was in control. She began to move harder, as the pleasure mounted. She felt like she was fucking herself.

_Yes, yes, yes._

Their cock throbbed inside them, against their heated walls. With a final push, they buried their entire length inside them and ejaculated. Almost immediately their knot began to swell while they continued to spurt and tremble. They threw back their head, howling and moaning to the ceiling. For several seconds they simply rode out the sensation. A wave of warmth and pleasure that rolled up their body from their belly to their head.

And then Pearl was suddenly herself again, the separation leaving her shaken. They couldn’t have been joined for more than a few minutes, but she’d completely forgotten herself in that time. It felt like waking up from a dead sleep she had no memory of falling into. She could no longer see herself or feel herself. She was just Pearl once more. They were no longer… whatever they’d been.

Amethyst collapsed heavily on top of Pearl, breathing deeply, trembling from the effort and the sensation. Her cock was sealed up inside Pearl. She gave a slight tug with her hips just to confirm as much. She couldn’t pull out at all. They were tightly tied together. Amethyst just felt satisfied with that knowledge and she rested against Pearl, completely spent.

They both were. Neither of them did anything for several minutes except catch their breath and get their bearings. After a while, Pearl began to stroke Amethyst’s fur between her fingers.  
  
“Amethyst…?” Pearl spoke after taking some time to form any words at all.   
  
“Yeah?” Amethyst’s voice answered her, clear as a bell, no longer garbled by growls or vocal chords that weren’t suited to human speech. Pearl pushed Amethyst up and stared at her, thinking she’d changed back to human, but she was the same werewolf as before. The vampire looked her over. Amethyst’s eyelids were droopy and she made a whine in her throat to indicate her displeasure over being pushed back and held up like that when all she really wanted to do was cuddle and doze.   
  
“Your voice, it’s… I can understand you,” Pearl said.   
  
Amethyst blinked and then opened and closed her jaw, testing out her speech. “Heeeelllooo?” she asked before breaking out into a giggle. “Well, that’s new. Did I change, somehow…?” She put a hand to her throat, as if she might be able to feel a difference.   
  
“It doesn’t matter, this is wonderful!” Pearl exclaimed, throwing her arms around Amethyst and pulling her back down onto the bed with her. She kissed the top of her head. Amethyst was confused by the reaction, but her tail started wagging in response to just getting attention and affection from Pearl. “Now we can talk to each other and I can really understand how you’re feeling!”   
  
“Aw, you were worried about that?” Amethyst asked as she nuzzled Pearl’s neck.   
  
“That thing, you felt it, right?” Pearl asked.   
  
“I felt it…” Amethyst responded. They both fell silent, thinking of what had taken place. Some sort of connection that went beyond anything either of them had ever experienced.   
  
“It was like we were one person but… not…” Pearl said.   
  
“Yeah… Was it okay…?” Amethyst asked. “I think it was me. My fault. It was the werewolf connection I warned you about. The bond.”  
  
“Right…” It took Pearl a moment to recall Amethyst warning her about it the previous night. “I hadn’t really thought that it would have any effect on me, though. I thought it was only a werewolf experience and I was just going to… accommodate it.”   
  
“I guess not,” Amethyst said with a grin. “I wanna do it again. Do you wanna do it again?”   
  
Pearl looked surprised, and then grinned as well. “My, my. Aren’t you a rambunctious pet,” she teased. “We’ll have to wait until you’re not stuck inside me anymore.”  
  
“Oh! Right…” Amethyst glanced downwards and looked a bit sheepish. “I forgot to warn you about that, too.”  
  
“I had a hunch,” Pearl answered. She stroked Amethyst’s ears and her gaze softened. Amethyst gazed right back at her and Pearl found herself getting lost in the dark pools of her eyes. Her eyes hadn’t changed in her transformation. “My goodness, Amethyst…” Pearl murmured. “You’re such a stunner.”   
  
“What? Even now?” Amethyst asked. “You don’t have to lie.”   
  
“I’m not lying. You really are gorgeous,” Pearl assured her. She smiled. “It’s too bad you can’t change at will. You’re so soft and fluffy.”  
  
“You really like me even when I’m like this?”   
  
“Yes…” Pearl’s smile faded. “I was worried I wouldn’t, I’ll admit. I wasn’t sure what to expect between a vampire and a werewolf. But… this is just… perfect.”   
  
Amethyst buried her face against Pearl’s shoulder, drawing in a heavy breath. She clutched at her with her fingers, trying not to squeeze too hard and hurt her with her claws. Pearl’s arms encircled her and she relaxed in her embrace. She wanted to sob with relief and gratitude, but she resisted the urge.  
  
“I love you so much…” Amethyst whispered, her voice trembling. “Why did it take me so long to find you, huh?”   
  
“Shh…” Pearl soothed, rubbing the back of her head. “We’re together now, that’s all that matters. I won’t let you go.”  
  
Amethyst clung tighter to her. “This is so fast… this is moving so fast.”   
  
“Yes, I know…”   
  
“But it feels so good. I don’t want it to stop.”   
  
“I won’t stop. I can’t…” Pearl murmured. “I love you, Amethyst…”   
  
“I love you, too…” Amethyst said, needily. “Don’t leave me, okay?”  
  
“Never…” Pearl pressed a kiss against her shoulder. “You’re mine. You belong to me.”  
  
“Yes…” Amethyst agreed, eagerly. “I’m yours…”   
  
“And we’re bonded, now…” Pearl added. “I saw into your heart.”  
  
  
“Mmm…” Amethyst nuzzled against Pearl. “I saw into yours, too.”   
  
“It was wonderful.”   
  
“It was…” Amethyst agreed. “What do we do, now? Get married?”   
  
  
Pearl gasped at the suggestion. After only a few days, it was such a strange thing to suggest, although she doubted Amethyst meant right away. Even so, when she thought of it, her cheeks began to warm up and her strange new heart began to beat rapidly again. Even Amethyst took notice of it and giggled.   
  
  
“Is that a happy heartbeat or an anxious one?” she asked.   
  
  
“What did you do to me?” Pearl sighed, putting a hand against her chest. “My heart is so old, it shouldn’t be overworking itself like this.”   
  
  
Amethyst snickered. “Mine has been working just fine all this time.”   
  
  
“I’m older than you,” Pearl reminded her. She sighed. “I can’t believe you’d suggest marriage and I’d just… react like this.” She covered her eyes, embarrassed. “I feel like we’ve already gone beyond a bond like that, though.”   
  
  
“Pearl, we’re basically werewolf-married, now,” Amethyst admitted.   
  
  
“Ooh… and we didn’t get any presents,” Pearl groused. Amethyst laughed.   
  
  
“We’ll have to ask Garnet for some tomorrow night.”   
  
  
“I don’t know if Garnet will want to give us presents just for having a particularly earthshattering round of sex,” Pearl giggled.   
  
  
“Well, she should,” Amethyst answered.   
  
  
“Agreed,” Pearl said with a laugh. She wiggled her hips. “Amethyst, how long does this knot last, anyway?”   
  
  
“I have no idea, I’ve never done it before,” the werewolf admitted. “Why, you got somewhere to be?”   
  
  
“As a matter of fact, I have another secret werewolf wife I have to attend to,” Pearl replied. She grinned and tickled Amethyst’s sides. Amethyst squirmed and giggled.  
  
  
“You better not!”   
  
\--  
  
Jasper found Lapis by the river. She was propped up against a tree trunk, her limbs splayed out and her chin resting against her chest. Jasper stopped in her tracks, fear seizing her. She set her gun down and ran to Lapis’s side, convinced she was dead. But it wasn’t possible. Her body was intact. And sure enough, as Jasper knelt next to her, Lapis groaned.   
  
  
“What were you doing?” Jasper demanded. She did her best to sound gruff and annoyed, but the worry crept into her voice all the same. Lapis heard it and her mouth split into a grin that caused blood to dribble down her chin.   
  
  
“I get antsy on the full moon…” Lapis answered.   
  
  
“You’re not a werewolf anymore,” Jasper answered.   
  
  
“It affects everyone,” Lapis replied in a slurred voice. “It’s the tides… the water. It affects the water in our bodies.” Jasper hoisted her up over her shoulder. Lapis’s body was completely limp and she didn’t respond to it in any way.   
  
  
“What did they do to you?” Jasper asked.   
  
  
“That witch brought a demon into town. She shot me with a silver-tipped arrow. It’s turning into an immortal creature fucking Mecca around here.”  
  
  
Jasper snorted. She began to walk, carrying Lapis like she was an oversized doll. “Don’t worry. We’re still the biggest fish in this pond.”  
  
  
“Jasper…”   
  
  
“Eh?”  
  
  
“Put me down, I’m gonna be sick…”   
  
  
Jasper hurriedly put Lapis down on the ground in a kneeling position so that the woman could wretch and vomit into the grass. Jasper hovered but she didn’t touch her, even to rub her back. She just waited, awkwardly.   
  
  
“Hunt outside of the town next time, okay?” Jasper asked. “You probably killed some of my customers.”   
  
  
Lapis lifted her head with some effort and she wiped her mouth. “The moon makes me a little crazy. I guess I never outgrew that.”  
  
  
“Whatever…” Jasper sighed, looking away.


	10. Running low

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This feels like another shorter chapter, but sometimes I just stop writing at a point because it feels like an appropriate chapter break. Lots of developments >:) Hope you like.

There was a harsh, urgent knocking at the door that startled Pearl awake. She was spooned against Amethyst’s back, greedily absorbing as much heat from her as she could. It was early morning and Amethyst had returned to her human form. She was sleeping soundly, untroubled by the knocking at the door. Pearl moved back from Amethyst with great reluctance and she fumbled out of the bed, only remembering as she reached for the door that she was totally nude. She paused and sleepily scanned the floor for her discarded nightgown. It was lying in a heap near her feet and she picked it up and tugged it over her head as the knocking sounded for a third time.   
  
“Just hold on a minute!” Pearl barked, growing increasingly annoyed at the disturbance. It could’ve only been Garnet or Bismuth, since it was much too early for housekeeping. She went to the door and unlocked and opened it, peering out into the hallway. “Good morning, Garnet…”   
  
“I’ve brought a few changes of clothes for you and Amethyst,” Garnet spoke, holding out a wrapped bundle in her arms. Pearl took it.   
  
“Oh… thank you.”   
  
“Please change into something now and meet Bismuth and I in the dining room,” Garnet instructed. “Amethyst can keep sleeping.”   
  
Pearl’s expression soured. “Garnet, can’t we discuss the lycan tonight? You know I’m not my best during the day…”   
  
“This isn’t about the lycan,” the witch at her door answered. “Just… take a few minutes if you need to. Wake yourself up. I’ll be waiting.” Garnet turned from the door and left down the hall. Pearl’s eyes followed her for a moment before her gaze fixed on the bundle she was holding. She nudged the door closed without looking up and returned to the room. She set the bundle down and unwrapped it carefully. Inside were several garments for her and Amethyst, like Garnet had said. She sighed and held up a dress that was clearly meant for herself.  
  
“Not really my style, Garnet…” She put on the dress and undergarments that went along with it. She glanced at Amethyst asleep in the bed and she sat next to her on the mattress, leaning back and kissing her cheek.   
  
“Amethyst?”   
  
“Mm…”  
  
“Aaamethyst~?” Pearl gently blew into Amethyst’s ear and the woman stirred and rolled over.   
  
“Mmyeah…?” she asked, sleepily.   
  
“Garnet wants to talk to me about something so I’m going to be leaving the room. I’ll take the key with me. I shouldn’t be long. Will you be alright if I leave?”   
  
“I’ll just keep sleeping…” Amethyst answered with a yawn. As she got her bearings somewhat, she reached out from under the covers to finger the material of Pearl’s dress. “Ohh… Pearl in a dress. Fancy.”  
  
“Not my first choice, but I had to make do with what I was given,” Pearl said. She brushed Amethyst’s hair back and gave her a smile. “I’ll be back soon. Keep the bed warm for when I return.”  
  
“I’ll miss you,” Amethyst murmured. She settled back into the bed, eager to resume sleeping. She’d been up all night which would’ve left anyone tired, but she was also recovering from being transformed. Within a few seconds, she appeared to have drifted off again and Pearl tiptoed out of the room and locked the door behind her.   
  
She made her way to the dining room, which was largely empty despite having several tables and booths to sit at. The inn didn’t see much business during the fall and winter months. The only people seated in the dining room at that time were Garnet and Bismuth. Garnet looked solemn, even a little perturbed but Bismuth caught sight of Pearl and waved her over, as though Pearl would somehow miss the only occupants of the room.   
  
Pearl took a seat in an empty chair around the table. There was a cup of coffee in front of her instantly as one of the kitchen staff emerged to fill it. Pearl hadn’t wanted a cup of coffee, but she thanked the server anyways. It was probably quite dull around the inn during the off season.   
  
Pearl picked up the cup of coffee, feeling and appreciating the heat seeping into her palms through the cup. She paused, glancing at Bismuth and Garnet across from her. Then she brought the cup to her lips and gingerly took a sip.  
  
“Sooo…?” Bismuth asked, grinning at Pearl. “How was last night?”   
  
Pearl raised an eyebrow. “Is this seriously girl talk? That’s why I’m here?”  
  
“No, no,” Bismuth assured her. “But you’re… well, you seem different, Pearl.”   
  
“Different how?” Pearl asked.   
  
“See for yourself,” Garnet spoke up. She handed Pearl a spoon from off the table with the back facing her. Pearl took it from Garnet in confusion but almost immediately noticed what they were referring to. She could see herself in the spoon’s reflection. Pearl brought it closer to her face, as if a closer look would confirm it was true. Her own confused expression was looking back at her through the warped reflection. She looked back at Garnet and Bismuth.   
  
“I have a reflection,” Pearl said, bluntly.   
  
“That’s not all you have,” Garnet pointed out. She put a hand to Pearl’s chest. “You have a heartbeat. Well… more than usual.”  
  
“You look a bit pinker in the cheeks,” Bismuth added. “Like you just fed.”  
  
Pearl self-consciously put her hands over her cheeks.  
  
“Wh-what?” Pearl asked, becoming more and more concerned. She got out of the chair and stood back. “What’s going on?”  
  
“You look a bit more lively than usual,” Garnet stated. “Especially for this time of day. How do you feel?”

  
“I… I don’t know… I feel like myself,” Pearl answered, shaking her head. “Are you saying I’m not a vampire anymore?”

“Try to do something a vampire can do!” Bismuth suggested. “Turn into a bat!”  
  
Pearl looked to Garnet but the witch’s expression was subdued and difficult to read. Pearl concentrated her efforts on shapeshifting and a moment later she had disappeared into a puff of black smoke. From the smoke, a tiny white bat emerged, flying upwards and perching upside down in the rafters. It only made Pearl more confused. She had a reflection and a normal heartbeat but her shapeshifting abilities were still intact. She hung upside down and looked down at Garnet and Bismuth before she pushed off from her perch and fluttered down towards them. Bismuth cupped her hands together and held them out and Pearl landed in them.   
  
“This is only making things more confusing, not less,” Pearl admitted.   
  
“What do you think, Garnet?” Bismuth asked.   
  
Garnet linked her fingers together and leaned on her arms on the table, looking thoughtful. “We need a piece of silver.”  
  
“Wh-what?” Pearl squeaked.   
  
“I want to see if it still has an effect.”   
  
“I might have a coin…” Bismuth set Pearl on the tabletop and fumbled around her pockets for a moment before she produced the coin and held it up. “Aha! Here it is.”  
  
Pearl instinctively wanted to lean away from it but she held her ground when Bismuth brought it towards her. The bat uneasily touched it, only for an instant, before pulling back and bringing the tip of her wing to her mouth where it had been burned. “Ouch! Silver still affects me.”   
  
“What about the cross?” Garnet suggested.   
  
“Why do you want to hurt me today, Garnet?” Pearl complained.   
  
“I don’t have a cross,” Bismuth said. “Seems weird for a demon to carry one.”   
  
“I’ve got one… I brought it.” Garnet produced a small wooden cross on a necklace, not unlike the one Amethyst had before she’d thrown it into the fireplace. Garnet carefully brought it towards Pearl and Pearl waited. She didn’t feel any aversion to it and Garnet eventually handed it to her. Pearl held it awkwardly between her wings. It was quite large for her because she was a small bat, but it didn’t bother her in any way.   
  
“Okay so… she looks human but she’s still able to shapeshift… silver still burns her but the cross doesn’t repel her. I’m… completely stumped,” Bismuth admitted. “Garnet if you’re holding back a theory, now’s the time to tell us.”  
  
“I assume you and Amethyst mated last night,” Garnet said to Pearl. Pearl glanced away, embarrassed.   
  
“Well… yes. Obviously.”  
  
“Something happened, right? Something unusual?”  
  
Pearl was quiet a moment. “Last night for a few moments it felt like we’d fused into one being.”  
  
“I’ll admit, I don’t know much about how werewolves pair bond,” Bismuth said. “Just that it’s a thing that happens and there’s some kind of supernatural thing that’s forged. But it’s a pretty private subject so a lot of them are really tight-lipped about it.”   
  
“You’re still a vampire,” Garnet said to Pearl. “But… you have taken on traits of Amethyst.”   
  
“Well… that would explain the cross, then,” Pearl mused. “The cross doesn’t affect Amethyst but silver does.”   
  
“You and Amethyst are both immortal, but you’re different sorts of immortals,” Garnet continued. “Pearl, when you were turned into a vampire, your body froze in that moment in time. All your internal systems went into hibernation, your organs slowed down or stopped completely. Your body preserved itself, like it was put into a deep freeze.”   
  
“Alright?” Pearl asked. She was vaguely aware of that, although she’d never had Garnet say it to her quite like that before.   
  
“Amethyst isn’t frozen like you are. Her bodily systems are running the same as when she was human which is why she still appears human to anyone who looks at her. Her body hasn’t slowed down, it’s just always resetting itself from the point she stopped aging. She’s like an ever-burning flame, just looping constantly. If that makes sense.”   
  
“I suppose it does,” Pearl replied with a shrug. “So I’m frozen, Amethyst is looping… what does that matter?”   
  
“Well, it looks to me like you’ve gone from a frozen immortal to a looping immortal overnight,” Garnet explained. “I suspect that this fusion you briefly experienced is the point where it happened. In some way, Amethyst gave you a piece of her soul and it had an effect on your body and your powers.”   
  
“Sunlight,” Pearl spoke, suddenly wide-eyed. “Amethyst can go into the sunlight but I… I never could. Do you think now I… can?”  
  
“The sun’s coming up right about now,” Bismuth observed, glancing out the window. “Should we take you out to check?”   
  
Pearl was nervous by the idea, having just recovered from burns the previous day. But her urge to know for certain was stronger than her need for self-preservation.  
  
“Yes, let’s try it.”   
  
“I’ll heal you if you burn, as always,” Garnet said, standing up from the table.   
  
The three of them walked out of the inn and into the streets. Still a bat, Pearl sat perched on Bismuth’s shoulder. Bismuth took notice of a patch of sunlight in the town square, where the buildings didn’t surround it enough to cast it all in deep blue shadows. Although Bismuth and Garnet headed for the sunny spot, Pearl jumped off of Bismuth’s shoulder and took flight, reaching it first. She flew into the sunlight, preparing herself for the familiar burning sensation. But none came.   
  
Instead, there was only a faintly warm feeling.   
  
Pearl dropped to the cobblestone road as Garnet and Bismuth approached.   
  
“I never thought this could happen…” Pearl murmured, her voice soft. “I’m so afraid this isn’t going to last… that I’ll get used to this and then it will be taken from me…”   
  
“I believe this is a permanent change, Pearl,” Garnet answered. “How do you feel?”   
  
“I feel… warm,” Pearl answered, shaking her head in disbelief. “I feel human.” She brought her wings around herself. “I’m afraid of this… I haven’t been this way in more than a hundred years. I don’t know how to live this way.”  
  
“Pearl, you’re still a vampire!” Bismuth reminded her. “You’ve just got a few less weaknesses, now. You shouldn’t be upset about that…”   
  
“If I can do all these things, maybe I’m not a true vampire any longer…” Pearl said.   
  
“You are. You’re just a vampire who happens to be bonded to a werewolf,” Bismuth answered. “That’s obviously got it’s own perks. Hmm… Maybe I need to find a werewolf for myself.”  
  
Garnet laughed. “You’re terrible,” she chided. “I was worried for you at first, Pearl. I wasn’t sure what this meant. But I don’t think this is harmful. I don’t think you’ve inherited any of Amethyst’s weaknesses, either. You don’t appear to be cold, for example. Even thought this morning would probably be quite cold for Amethyst without a jacket and boots. And you don’t need to eat human food to sustain yourself.”

“This is… still quite a lot to take in,” Pearl sighed. “I suppose it’s wonderful that sunlight doesn’t burn me any longer, but I still wish I’d known this was going to happen. I feel like so much has changed about me in such a short time.”  
  
She’d been changed much more than she’d ever thought was possible. It left her feeling uneasy but also cautiously optimistic. As a vampire, she’d never found herself longing for the sun because the daylight tended to make her feel woozy and fatigued. But Pearl noticed that effect had also gone. She was somewhat tired from being up all night and having her sleep disturbed. But it was nowhere near the sedating effect she was used to.  
  
Garnet and Bismuth watched Pearl contemplating her changes. Pearl finally spread her wings and took to the sky. “I need to show this to Amethyst!” she declared. “She’ll be so pleased!”  
  
“Definitely!” Bismuth agreed.   
  
Pearl flew off into the sky back towards the inn, leaving Garnet and Bismuth standing alone in the town square. Bismuth turned to Garnet.   
  
“She’s totally in love,” Bismuth observed, smiling. “I’ve never seen her like this.”  
  
“She’s taken quite a shine to Amethyst… I’m happy for both of them,” Garnet said. “For once, my meddling brought some good results.” She stretched her arms over her head. “But now I’m not looking forward to whatever clean up needs to be done from last night…”  
  
“Right. I’ll help,” Bismuth volunteered. “What are we doing?”  
  
“We need to make some house calls… I’ve prepared something…” Garnet lifted a necklace over her head, the bauble on the end a teardrop-shaped piece of serpentine. She handed it to Bismuth, who took it.   
  
“Put it on,” Garnet instructed. “It won’t harm you. But it senses deception and reacts to it.”  
  
“Oh yeah?” Bismuth slipped the necklace on. “We’re gonna play detective?”  
  
“We’re going to start asking questions… someone in town knows what’s going on. We just have to find out who it is.”

—

Amethyst felt something strange as she slept. Someone beckoning to her. It was in her formless dream, and then slowly, as she awoke, it was in her waking state as well. She sat up in the bed, rubbing one sleepy eye. “Pearl?” she asked, hoarsely. But the room was dark and silent. She could see the faintest slit of sunlight through the tightly drawn curtains. And she could hear something at the door; the one that lead out into the courtyard. It was a scratching sound against the door, persistent and growing louder. It sounded like an animal’s claws against the wood. Amethyst was confused.   
  
The woman stumbled out of the bed and crouched on the floor, realizing she didn’t have any clothes to wear. But then she took notice of the clothing Garnet had delivered earlier and she gave a sigh of relief. She hurriedly picked out something in her size and the scratching at the door eased up, as though the creature on the other side was aware she was putting on clothes.   
  
When she had dressed, Amethyst took a look over her shoulder just to reaffirm that Pearl wasn’t in the room at all before she opened the door. She slid through the opening she’d allowed herself and squinted against the morning sunlight. The courtyard was deserted so late in the fall. The trees were mostly bare. The fountain that had graced the center had been turned off and the basin was full of dead leaves. Even the chairs and tables meant for use by guests had been turned over and stacked on top of each other. Considering that it was nearly winter, it wasn’t surprising.   
  
The air was crisp and cold. Amethyst’s breath puffed out through her nose and mouth and she rubbed her arms in a meager attempt to warm herself. Dressed as she was, she didn’t think she could stand being outdoors for more than ten minutes, if that. She was even barefoot; a detail she noticed only when her feet touched the frozen ground.  
  
Amethyst’s eyes scanned the area all around her, looking for the source of the scratching. And then she caught sight of something white darting out from behind a tree. A few feet away from her was a beautiful white wolf. Amethyst took an uneasy step back towards the door. In her experience, all canids from wolves to domestic dogs tended to be aggressive towards her. She hadn’t thought to question how a wolf had gotten into the courtyard in the first place when the area was completely closed off.   
  
The wolf regarded Amethyst from a distance. She didn’t bare her fangs or flatten her ears. After a moment of appearing to size her up, she trotted over to the tense woman, her body language appearing to suggest friendliness. Amethyst stood frozen on the spot as the wolf came up next to her and gently nuzzled her hand with her nose. Amethyst shakily raised her hand and touched the top of the wolf’s head, running her fingers over the fur. A realization came to her at the contact and Amethyst jolted in surprise, lifting her hand and bumping against the door that lead back inside.   
  
“ _Pearl_?” she gasped. Her logical mind told her the wolf couldn’t possibly be Pearl because it was morning and the courtyard was bathed in sunlight. But her heart seemed to recognize Pearl on some deeper level.  
  
“I was worried you’d never realize it was me!” the wolf laughed. She stood back from Amethyst and in a wisp of smoke she returned to her regular form, although she quickly realized that her clothing hadn’t made the trip. “Oh… I forgot…” she muttered, giving her naked body a glance over. Luckily there wasn’t anyone in the courtyard with them and they were in an enclosed space. So Pearl wasn’t terribly worried about it.  
  
“H-how are you outside like this?!” Amethyst gasped. She lunged towards Pearl, grabbing her by her wrist and jerking her forward. Pearl was surprised by the force of it and she tumbled forward and landed against Amethyst before she managed to find her footing. She pulled her wrist out of Amethyst’s grasp.   
  
“Amethyst, what on earth?” Pearl asked, giving her hand a shake. “I always forget you’re stronger than a human, sometimes… Look! I’m completely fine in the sunlight! Isn’t that exciting?”   
  
Amethyst pushed the door open behind her, gesturing inside. “M-maybe we should go back inside, just in case… I…” Amethyst was beyond worried for Pearl. She didn’t understand what was going on, but she could recall the burns in Pearl’s skin from the previous day, and how she’d felt when she saw them.   
  


Pearl could tell from the sound of her voice to the tension in her body that Amethyst wasn’t nearly as elated by the development as she’d been hoping she’d be. She was anxious, almost panicked. And Pearl decided she needed to calm the woman’s fears before she could have any real conversation with her about what had occurred between them.   
  
“A-alright… alright… shh…” Pearl soothed, touching Amethyst’s face. “Perhaps you’re right, let’s go inside… you’re very upset.”   
  
Amethyst’s eyes were wide and frightened. Pearl stepped towards the door and Amethyst clung to her and tried to shield the vampire’s body from the sunlight with her own body as much as she could. It wasn’t easy considering their height difference. As soon as they were back indoors, safe in the darkness of their room, Amethyst slammed the door behind Pearl and turned to her, somewhere between angry and fearful when she spoke.   
  
“How could you do that?! After… after what happened yesterday? Do you… do you just want me to freak out all the time over you??” she demanded. She pressed her mouth into a thin line and then crumbled forward, a sob escaping her throat as she covered her face in her hands.   
  
Pearl was stunned by the reaction. She hadn’t realized how traumatized Amethyst had been by her burns the previous day. The vampire woman blinked a few times and then cast her gaze onto the floor, feeling ashamed. “I… I’m sorry… I thought you’d be happy.”   
  
“Why would you go out like that again?!” Amethyst cried.   
  
“But I… I didn’t burn, don’t you see?” Pearl said, confused. “I wanted to show you…”   
  
Amethyst was breathing heavily, trying to keep herself under control. But her breath was shaking and her tears were falling freely from her eyes, as much as she tried to angrily wipe them back with her hands. “I just… I…” she squeaked before sobbing again.   
  
Pearl couldn’t stand to keep her distance any longer and she crossed the floor to Amethyst, taking her into her arms immediately and lifting her up. She hovered off the floor and floated them onto the bed where she sat and pulled Amethyst into her lap to embrace her. She lifted the blankets to cocoon them both together and began rocking the sobbing woman gently, pressing apologetic kisses to her cheeks and head. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you…” Pearl whispered. Amethyst’s pain felt like a stake through her own heart. She couldn’t bear the feeling of her mate in such distress. It was hard to keep herself together when she was listening to Amethyst’s own muffled sobs against her chest.   
  
“What… what if it’s just delayed…? What if… why would you just walk out into the sunlight like that? Why… why wouldn’t you…” Amethyst buried her face against Pearl’s neck. “I don’t want you to die. If anything happens to you, I swear I’ll kill myself…”   
  
“Now you stop that,” Pearl chided, softly. “Don’t speak like that again.”   
  
“Buh-but it’s truuuue…” Amethyst wailed.   
  
“Amethyst, my goodness…” Pearl sighed. She stoked her mate’s hair, trying her best to soothe her. “If I’d known you were going to react like this, I wouldn’t have done that. Listen… the ‘vampires bursting into flame in the sunlight’ is vastly exaggerated. Even if I was being burned, I would have quite a bit of time before it was anywhere near a serious injury. Sunlight burns are almost always superficial.”   
  
“That doesn’t make me feel better…” Amethyst groused. “I don’t want you to get hurt at _all_.”   
  
Pearl rested her chin on top of Amethyst’s head. “You’re very silly…”   
  
“Nooo…” Amethyst whined. She at least appeared to be calming down. Her heart wasn’t racing quite so much. Pearl continued to massage her back and kiss her tears away until the woman became calmer. Pearl reminded herself that Amethyst was green to relationships in general and that every experience was new and full of heightened emotions. Amethyst hadn’t had anyone to care for her or for her to care for in turn. She was probably terrified of losing that. Pearl felt horrible for putting her through that for no reason except to show off. She realized she had to be as gentle as possible with Amethyst’s heart. She was still so tender.   
  
“Everything’s alright…” Pearl promised.   
  
“Just don’t… don’t put yourself in danger for no fucking reason, Pearl…” Amethyst whimpered. “Please, don’t… please…”   
  
“I won’t, I won’t…” Pearl assured her. “But I wasn’t in any danger. I’ve changed since last night… that’s what I wanted to show you. My soul has changed.”   
  
“What do you mean…?” Amethyst asked, her face still firmly buried in Pearl’s shoulder.   
  
“Garnet and Bismuth think when we… made love last night… you gave me a part of your soul and it changed me in some ways… I think I might’ve also changed you. I could always speak perfectly fine when I shapeshifted, as long as I was something with a mouth. I think that’s why you were able to start speaking last night when you previously had trouble. You gained that ability from me. And from you I’m suddenly able to walk into the sunlight without being harmed. And the cross doesn’t bother me at all.”   
  
Amethyst finally pulled back a little to look at Pearl. She stared at her clearly for the first time that morning, her eyes subtly darting back and forth as she scanned her face. “You do look a bit different…” she admitted.  
  
“Oh, you poor little thing…” Pearl tutted at the sight of Amethyst’s blotchy face, streaked with tears. “My poor Amethyst…” She cupped her hands around Amethyst’s cheeks, kissing her lips. “I’m not going to leave you, I promise.”   
  
Amethyst sniffled and nodded.   
  
“Here… take off your clothes. I’m here. I’ll stay right by your side while you rest.”   
  
“Okay…” Amethyst agreed. She undressed, her hands a bit clumsy and shaky as she did. Pearl assisted her. She set the garments aside and then got into the bed under the covers with Amethyst, drawing her mate in as close as she could to her body. Amethyst clung to Pearl, pressing her cheek against her chest. Pearl’s fingers continued to stroke Amethyst’s hair. Pearl found it was soothing to her as well as Amethyst.   
  
Amethyst felt better but she couldn’t help but also enjoy being coddled by Pearl. She didn’t want to do anything else except be next to her and feel safe in her arms. She shyly pressed a kiss against Pearl’s shoulder and then another against her neck. She heard Pearl inhale, sharply. Just knowing that something as simple as a few little kisses could have such an affect on Pearl was pleasing to Amethyst. She was becoming addicted to the feeling of being desirable. She’d never felt that feeling before Pearl. Now she wanted Pearl to desire her all the time.   
  
Amethyst gripped Pearl’s wrist and lifted it to place her hand on her breast. Pearl’s fingers flexed slightly into her flesh. “Please touch me…” Amethyst begged.   
  
“Anywhere you want, Pet…” Pearl answered. She cupped Amethyst’s breasts in her hands and dipped her head down, taking one of her nipples into her mouth to suck it, gently. Amethyst gasped and she rolled under Pearl, putting her arms around her.   
  
Pearl parted her lips and let her tongue slide over Amethyst’s breast, wetting the skin everywhere she could. Her mouth trailed up Amethyst’s chest and came to nip her neck. Pearl began to lick and suckle the skin there, determined to leave a mark. Although since Amethyst was a fast healer, it wouldn’t last long.   
  
“You gonna bite…?” Amethyst asked, breathily.   
  
“I wasn’t planning on it…”   
  
“You can…”   
  
Pearl winced, feeling a primal surge of desire in her belly. That part hadn’t changed. She truly was still a vampire. “I did enjoy it last time… but I know now to pace myself.” She made a purring rumble in her throat. Her predatory noise.  
  
“Yeah… I trust you,” Amethyst whispered. She scrunched her fingers in Pearl’s hair. “I want you to…”   
  
“Alright…” Pearl agreed. “Gently.” She wet the area she intended to bite with her tongue and gave it a few soft, lingering kisses. Then she brought out her fangs and bit down.   
  
Amethyst moaned as warm pleasure filled her body. She closed her eyes, stroking Pearl’s hair as the vampire fed from her. It felt better the second time, because she knew more of what to expect. As a result, she was much more relaxed and receptive to it. Once Pearl’s teeth pricked the skin, there wasn’t any pain, only a warm feeling.   
  
Pearl too seemed a bit more in control of herself the second time. She wasn’t as taken by surprise as she had been before. She took slow, leisurely drinks. She appreciated Amethyst’s fingers against her scalp, massaging and stroking. It was relaxing.   
  
“This… feels really good…” Amethyst panted. She’d been softly panting the whole time. It was hard for Pearl not to notice since she was right at her neck, able to feel every movement, every hitch of breath, every sigh. “A-actually… so good…”   
  
“Mm…” Pearl murmured. She let her hand trail down Amethyst’s soft body, her fingers eventually finding their destination between Amethyst’s legs, under her fleshy mound, where sure enough, the woman was wet and aroused. Pearl wasted no time inserting a couple of fingers, to the apparent delight of Amethyst. The woman squealed in response, trying not to jerk up under Pearl and risk injuring herself in such a compromising position.   
  
“Oh god… oh… I might… I might actually cum from this…” Amethyst warned. Pearl thrusted her fingers in response before teasingly rubbing them up against the roof of her vagina. The action caused Amethyst to cry out a desperate little moan. “P-Pearl… ahh…”   
  
Pearl wanted to instruct Amethyst to cum for her but her mouth was occupied. She continued to drink, but tried to keep from taking in too much blood at once. She was fairly skilled at biting people in her years of being a vampire. She’d taken a shallow bite the second time and there wasn’t nearly as much bleeding as before. It meant she could stay latched onto Amethyst for a longer time without any risk of Amethyst losing too much blood. Even so, she remained as tuned in as always to Amethyst’s bodily systems, her heartbeat, her comfort, anything that could alert Pearl to the fact that she was in distress in any way.   
  
Pearl’s fingers moved faster, shamelessly. She felt Amethyst lift her hips in response. The woman was crying out so desperately and it was music to Pearl’s ears, as always. She loved the sound of Amethyst getting close. She made such cute little squeaks. She just loved everything about Amethyst. Everything she did only seemed to make Pearl’s heart grow more and more fond of her. If it was possible to fall even more in love with Amethyst.  
  
The vampire wanted to keep her as close as possible. She felt so possessive of her. She wanted to lock her away in Candlewood and keep her all for herself. She wanted to be the only one to make Amethyst cum. She wanted to fill every empty space in the woman’s heart. She wanted to lock together with her like puzzle piece and never let go. She was ready, so completely ready, to give Amethyst forever.  
  
“Pearl, I love yooou…” Amethyst whimpered right before her orgasm spilled over inside of her. Pearl felt her walls spasm around her fingers. She felt a gush of warm fluid against her hand. And then Amethyst let out a long sigh, relaxing her body. Pearl withdrew from her neck, licking up the remaining blood before the wound began to clot. She gave it a concerned look. Even if Amethyst had enjoyed it, Pearl still didn’t like the sight of her mate’s skin blemished by a wound, especially one she’d inflicted. The vampire delicately rubbed the two puncture holes with her thumbpad.   
  
“It’s okay, it didn’t hurt…” Amethyst murmured, looking spent.   
  
“Even so, I wish I didn’t have to do that…” Pearl sighed. She gave the spot a kiss before she settled in next to Amethyst once more.   
  
“Most vampires kill people, right?” Amethyst asked, abruptly. Pearl blinked. She hadn’t exactly made a point of networking with other vampires in her years of being one. She didn’t know if she could speak for “most vampires” after so being isolated from them.  
  
“I’m not sure… traditionally, I suppose so. But it’s not necessary.”   
  
“Do you ever feel like killing someone?” Amethyst pressed.   
  
“No…”  
  
“Not even when you were first turned?”   
  
“No… never. I would’ve rather died than take a human life.”  
  
Amethyst seemed to relax at the words and she smiled, settling back in. “You really are a good one, Pearl… You’ll never do that, right? I’ll make sure you always have blood from somewhere so… don’t ever kill a human, okay?”   
  
“Of course I won’t, Amethyst,” Pearl said, puzzled. “You have my word on that… but why are you suddenly so concerned about it?”  
  
“Eating people… I mean… eating humans. That makes you something worse, you know… you can’t go back from that,” Amethyst answered. She sounded so intense and serious, but Pearl wasn’t sure what to make of the statement.   
  
—

It was late afternoon when Pearl and Amethyst awoke again. Although nearly dusk due to the encroaching winter season, it was only about 4pm. It was Amethyst who awoke first, stirring in Pearl’s embrace and groggily sitting up. Pearl in turn shifted and made a noise of protest at having her heat source taken from her. With her eyes closed, the vampire blindly felt around, her fingers groping for Amethyst, trying to pull her back in.

Amethyst caught one of Pearl’s hands in hers and held it, kissing Pearl’s wrist. “I gotta get up. I’m hungry…” Amethyst said.

“Mmm… very well, Pet. I’ll prepare something for you…” Pearl yawned.

Amethyst giggled. “We’re not at Candlewood, remember?”

“Oh.” Pearl’s eyes snapped open in an instant and anxiety seized her. She stiffly sat up in the bed, taking in her surroundings. Amethyst gave her an odd look and leaned against Pearl’s shoulder, kissing it softly and rubbing her hand up and down her arm.

“You okay?” Amethyst asked.

“Ah, yes… I just… I haven’t been away from the house for this long in a while. Not since… well. Not since Garnet first found me and brought me to the inn to heal me.”

“Should we go back?”

“You’re not going back there,” Pearl said, firmly. “Not after what happened.”

Amethyst pouted. “I _told_ you, I’m the most sensitive to silver right before I transform and when I’m a werewolf, but otherwise I can tolerate it a lot more!”

“You’ve had two close calls with the silver already,” Pearl pointed out. “I’m not risking it.”

“But…”

“You know how you were so frightened this morning when you saw me in the sunlight? Well, that’s how I feel when I think of taking you back to Candlewood with me.”

Amethyst deflated. “But I wanna live with you…” She looked exaggeratedly sad and she stroked her fingers over Pearl’s arm. “Don’t you wanna live with me, too?”

“Of course I do, but… you’re safer at the inn right now.”

Amethyst pouted but she didn’t argue further. Whether she was actually safer depended on what Pearl was referring to. She was perhaps safer from the effects of the silver that Candlewood seemed loaded to the brim with. But the house also protected them from outside harm, under Pearl’s power. Neither of them were fully safe in either location. Amethyst wished she didn’t have a vulnerability to silver. She could’ve passed that onto Pearl as well. And then Candlewood wouldn’t slowly poison her any longer.

“I’ll be by your side, Amethyst,” Pearl promised, her voice affectionate and genuine. “You’ll never be on your own, as long as you want me with you.”

“Well, I don’t know about you but I’m basically bonded to you now. So… yeah, I wanna be with you all the time.”

“Me too…” Pearl said with a smile.

“Are you okay though? Being away from it for so long?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Candlewood is still safe. Even if I’m away from it, it can’t be invaded. It’s still protected. I can still…” Pearl paused, closing her eyes. “I can still survey the entire property. In my mind.”

“That’s such a weird power…” Amethyst said.

“It’s a curse, if anything. I’m so thankful I didn’t spread it to you last night. I’d hate it if we were both bound to Candlewood.”

“I’m bound to you…” Amethyst answered. Pearl shivered and she opened her eyes to lock gazes with Amethyst.

“I feel terrible saying this but… I like that,” Pearl admitted.

“It’s not terrible…” Amethyst kissed her shoulder. “At least… none of this feels terrible to me. It just feels really… so… so good. I think this is normal for my species, at least. We’re _supposed_ to pair bond with someone eventually.”

“Well… It’s been an amazing experience so far,” Pearl admitted. “Ah… but you said you were hungry, didn’t you? You didn’t eat much last night. You didn’t touch the pork shoulder.”

“I don’t like pork…” Amethyst answered. “I don’t like how it smells.”

“I see. Well, that’s good to know,” Pearl said with a nod. “It’s a bit early for us but I guess since we’re both awake, we can have dinner. Should we take a bath first? A quick one?”

“Oh, you mean a bath with no funny business?” Amethyst teased. She leaned against Pearl and nipped at her earlobe.

“As difficult as it is, it might make the bath longer than it needs to be,” Pearl answered. She abruptly scooped Amethyst into her arms, with Amethyst making a little squeak of surprise.

They bathed quickly and got themselves dressed. Pearl helped dry Amethyst’s hair with a towel before she braided it. They left their room and headed down the hallway, holding hands. “I wonder where Garnet and Bismuth have gotten to…” Pearl said. “I just left them in the square and flew away…”   
  
“Well, they’re probably not still there,” Amethyst said with a laugh.   
  
“Sleeping, maybe…” Pearl murmured. “They did mention that the lycan was shot yesterday… I assume that means that whoever it is would be laying low today. At least… I hope so.”   
  
Amethyst tensed up. “The lycan was active last night?” she asked, worriedly.   
  
“Yes… apparently it made quite a scene in town. It killed a few people, from what I heard…”   
  
Amethyst stopped walking, leaving Pearl to walk on ahead of her for a few paces before she took notice of Amethyst hanging back. The vampire turned, curious. “It should be fine, Amethyst… Bismuth hit it with a silver-tipped arrow. Although, I have serious concerns over the fact that everyone and their mother seems capable of acquiring silver these days.” She smiled. “The lycan will be injured and recovering, not out and about.”   
  
“I’m scared of it…” Amethyst said, softly.   
  
“You can also sense when it’s near, can’t you?” Pearl walked back to Amethyst’s side. “You have a connection to it.”  
  
“What? What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” Amethyst asked, bristling. “Are you saying I’m like that?”   
  
“Like what?” Pearl asked, confused.   
  
“I don’t _do_ that stuff, okay?” Amethyst said, agitated. She put her arms around herself, closing herself off from Pearl.   
  
“I didn’t mean it like that…” Pearl said, worriedly. “I just meant… you seem to have some kind of primal instinct that alerts you to its presence.”  
  
“Because werewolves and lycans are totally basically the same thing, right?” Amethyst asked, sarcastically.   
  
“No… I know you’re different creatures…” Pearl replied. “Amethyst…?” She tried to touch the woman’s cheek and Amethyst flinched away from her, scowling.   
  
“I’m just… tired,” Amethyst answered, her voice hard. “Tired from transforming.”  
  
“Well… I’m sure you’ll perk right up with some food in you,” Pearl said. “Oh…” Realization dawned on her then and Pearl laughed, nervously. “You know, I didn’t bring any money with me when I arrived… Well… perhaps we can just get something from the dining room-”  
  
“I wanna go _out_ ,” Amethyst answered.   
  
“Oh… alright. Well… I need to get some money in that case,” Pearl explained. She gave Amethyst a concerned look but the woman refused to meet her gaze. Pearl didn’t try to touch her again. She’d obviously insulted Amethyst and she hadn’t meant to. And Pearl hoped that Amethyst might feel more like herself when she’d had something to eat. “I’ll just pop over to Candlewood quickly. Did you need me to bring you anything? I could get your cloak for you…”   
  
“You’re gonna leave me?”   
  
“Just for a short while,” Pearl assured her. “I’ll fly over. It’ll be quick.”  
  
“Okay…” Amethyst sighed. She deflated a bit. “I’m cranky. I’m sorry…”   
  
“It’s alright…” Pearl dared to kiss Amethyst’s forehead and the woman didn’t move away from her. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can. Will you be alright?”   
  
“Yeah…” Amethyst forced a smile. “I’ll be fine. But I wanna get out of this stuffy inn. I’m gonna walk around town a bit, stretch my legs… would you be able to find me if I did?”   
  
“I think so. I’m fairly attuned to your systems by this point. I think I’d find you easily,” Pearl said.  
  
They left the inn and parted ways with Pearl taking to the darkening sky while Amethyst walked out onto the main road. Amethyst sighed to herself, feeling stupid about having her mood so soured. She hadn’t meant to be short with Pearl. She didn’t know everything about vampires, so she couldn’t expect Pearl to know everything about the differences between lycans and werewolves.   
  
There were people out and about, but much less than Amethyst had expected to see. The mood over the town also seemed to be much gloomier and more cautious than she’d previously experienced. With a second lycan attack, it wasn’t such a surprise. Amethyst also noticed as she passed people by in the street that many of them regarded her with suspicion. A lycan suddenly active in town at the same time a new face arrived in town was certainly suspicious. Amethyst knew it looked suspicious.   
  
Then she heard a man’s voice call out to her.   
  
“Oy, you there!”   
  
Amethyst froze on the spot and then cautiously turned around to see a tall, shadowy man striding towards her. Amethyst resisted the urge to run from him, knowing she’d only be in deeper trouble if she did. Pearl would be back, soon. She could fend for herself until then, like she always had.   
  
As the man stood before her, she recognized him as a constable. Amethyst was used to being questioned by law enforcement officers in most places she visited. But it wasn’t usually on suspicion of her being a lycan.   
  
“Don’t think I’ve seen you around here before, little missy,” the constable said, leering down at her. He was quite a bit taller than her and was standing close enough to her that Amethyst not only felt uncomfortable, but had to crane her neck up to look at him. “It’s not the tourist season… What are you doing in town?”  
  
“Just passing through…” Amethyst answered, warily.   
  
“Seems kind of odd that we’d have a lycan attacking people the same time a mysterious stranger rolls on into town. You know anything about that?”   
  
“I… I wasn’t there, I didn’t even see it!” Amethyst protested. “I’ve got an alibi, you can even ask Garnet, the innkeeper!”   
  
“Hmph…” the constable looked disappointed. “Well… even so… I’m not sure I like a muddy-skinned _Danbian_ like yourself hanging around. Maybe you should head on back to where you came from, huh? There’s nothing for you around here.”  
  
Amethyst took a step backwards. “I’m not looking for any trouble…”   
  
“Yeah… make sure you get on out of here soon,” the constable warned. “I’ve got my eye on you. And by the way… one more thing. I know lycans get burned by silver so… even though you’ve got an alibi. Just to be safe. Do you mind holding a silver coin for me? Just gotta be sure, you know?”   
  
“Wh-what?”   
  
The constable produced the coin from his pocket and held it up. “It should be fine, right? Hold out your hand.”   
  
Amethyst took a deep breath and held her hand out, palm up. The constable dropped the coin onto her palm. Amethyst started to wobble but she forced herself to stand straight and held her hand steady. She’d told Pearl before, and it was still true, that her sensitivity to silver was much less right after the full moon. The piece felt hot against her skin, but it wasn’t to the point where it was searing. She felt nauseous from holding it, though. And she still felt significantly weakened by it touching her skin.   
  
The constable regarded the coin in Amethyst’s hand. Although it felt like an eternity to Amethyst, it was probably only a couple of seconds before he took it back from her and checked her palm for any burns. There were none. It took all of Amethyst’s power not to sigh with relief when he removed the silver piece from her hand.  
  
“Well…” the constable said, clearly disappointed. “I guess you’re not the lycan after all… but I still don’t think I like you hanging around so-”  
  
“There you are,” a voice cut in from behind Amethyst. She was aware of a sudden presence at her side. “What’s going on, officer? Did my cousin do something wrong?”  
  
“Cousin?” the constable asked, his tone disgusted. “You look nothing like her, Jasper!”   
  
Amethyst peeked up at the bulky woman standing next to her. She recognized her, vaguely. She’d already had a run-in with the woman, the first night she’d arrived in town. Amethyst quickly looked away.   
  
“Distant cousin,” Jasper explained. “I had some relatives that settled in Danbis, generations ago. What can you do?”  
  
“Alright…” the constable answered, sounding uncertain. “I guess as long as you can vouch for her.” He turned to walk off before pausing and looking over his shoulder. “Lapis is… she’s alright, isn’t she?”   
  
“She’s taking some time to recover from the lycan attack,” Jasper explained with a smirk. “She’ll have to take a raincheck for you.”   
  
“Right. Tell her I asked about her…”   
  
“Will do.”   
  
The constable shuffled off, leaving the two women alone. Jasper’s expression immediately dissolved into a scowl. Amethyst abruptly tried to run, only to have her shoulder grabbed by Jasper’s enormous hand. “Not so fast, runt. I covered for you, so now you owe me.”  
  
“Let me go!” Amethyst pleaded, twisting uselessly in Jasper’s grip.   
  
“Let’s just take a little walk,” Jasper suggested with a grin. “You must have pretty bad cabin fever from being cooped up in Candlewood for days.”   
  
Amethyst paused. “You know about that?”   
  
“Sure. I saw you pass through her barrier.”   
  
Amethyst’s eyes went wide and she felt her blood run cold. Jasper began to walk, her fingers digging into Amethyst’s shoulder. Amethyst numbly walked alongside her, but her heart was racing and her mind was blank with fear. Her legs simply moved without her conscious control to keep up with Jasper’s stride. She didn’t know what else to do.  
  
“I’m surprised she’d fuck a werewolf. I thought vampires couldn’t stand the smell of them. But she’s always been a weird one, I guess. The witch gets blood from my butcher shop and delivers it to her. She’s an ethical vampire. Ch. Like there is such a thing.” Jasper glanced down at Amethyst. “A little Danbian creampuff like you should know better than to set foot in a lycan’s territory.”   
  
“I didn’t know, I didn’t… I’m sorry, I’m sorry… please…” Amethyst begged, her voice a squeak. “I’ll leave right now… I’ll leave… please don’t kill me.”   
  
“You didn’t take the bait last night…” Jasper added. “You don’t wanna be a lycan too, runt?”   
  
Amethyst shook her head, furiously. “No, I don’t… no… I don’t want to… no, no, no…”  
  
Jasper walked her into a secluded back alley and flung Amethyst forward. Amethyst stumbled and fell to her knees but she recovered quickly, turning around to face Jasper as the woman blocked her way out and stood menacingly before her.  
  
“You don’t belong in a town with people. You can’t control yourself,” Jasper said. “You should go back to the woods before Lapis gets better. She’s the territorial one, not me.”  
  
“Two of you…” Amethyst said, stunned. “You’re both lycans?”   
  
“Yeah. It works out well,” Jasper said with a shrug. “Lapis is the one who attacked last night but I was the one you saw on the path. What’s your name, by the way?”   
  
Amethyst was shaking. “A-Amethyst…”   
  
“Heh. Really? That’s funny. I knew a lycan named Amethyst, once,” Jasper said. She took a step forward and Amethyst backed up. “She looked a lot like you, actually. Bigger, though… Danbian, too. Funny coincidence, huh?”   
  
Amethyst took another step back, aware that she would soon be against a back wall. “I won’t tell anyone…” Amethyst promised. “I won’t tell anyone, I swear… I swear…”   
  
“Because of you, Lapis got shot in the face. She gets really aggressive when there’s a werewolf around. I think she wants to kill you. But she’s not feeling so well… So I’m gonna give you a chance.”   
  
“What…?” Amethyst squeaked.   
  
“You leave right now… don’t stop. Let’s see how fast you can run.”   
  
Amethyst stared in shock.   
  
“ _Run_.” Jasper commanded.   
  
Somehow, Amethyst’s body again behaved without her conscious thought. She ran past Jasper in the alley, emerging out onto the street. Jasper remained standing where she was, her yellow eyes glittering. Amethyst’s head whipped back and forth, and then she raced off down the street. Jasper slowly sauntered out of the alley, watching Amethyst run off. As soon as Amethyst reached the edge of the woods, she decided to give chase. 


	11. Wolfmother

The cloak of early winter darkness was especially intense in the woods, where in places it seemed like neither sun nor moonlight ever penetrated the canopy of trees. Amethyst ran on unfamiliar and uneven ground, essentially blind. She stumbled over what she assumed was a tree’s root but managed to regain her footing before she fell over. She gripped and lifted her dress as she ran but the fabric still caught the brambles and branches that seemed almost sentient to her and determined to slow her down. In her panicked state of mind, she could almost believe that Jasper was manipulating the forest around her the way Pearl could manipulate the grounds of Candlewood.   
  
Amethyst didn’t slow her run or look back. She didn’t know if Jasper was in pursuit and she didn’t know how far she could go before she felt safe. But her throat began to burn raw from panting. One eye was weeping from when a branch pulled back and hit her across the face. She was already scratched and bruised. Her night vision was poor in her human form. Any enhanced canid senses that could have guided her were all but gone.   
  
The ground suddenly gave out in a drop and Amethyst didn’t register it in time. She tumbled forward, rolling head over foot down the slope, kicking up dead leaves as she did so. She only stopped when she landed in a stream. The ice-cold water was a shock to her system. Although shallow, on her hands and knees it quickly soaked her. She cried out in pain and got to her feet. As she righted herself, she was forced to take in her surroundings for the first time since she’d started running. And she half expected Jasper to tackle her immediately. But the woods were still.   
  
Not still in the way that they were still when a lycan was near. Still only in a natural way. Amethyst whipped her head back and forth, her teeth chattering so violently that she was certain the sound would give her away. She turned in a circle, looking all around her. When she finally decided she wasn’t being pursued, she trudged out of the stream and dropped to her knees on the bank with a heavy, exhausted sigh. She fell onto her side, her cheek pressed into the cool soil. She let the heavy, earthy scent ground her. She caught her breath, slowly. And then she sat up again, stricken by the similarities between the last time Jasper had chased her.  
  
The last time it had been so horrifying and unknown that Amethyst hadn’t dared think about it more than she’d had to. But the second time… it felt different. Seeing Jasper as a human woman and speaking with her had taken away some of her fear. The terror of the lycan had been how unknown it was, how shrouded it was in mystery. Before Amethyst had laid eyes on the creature, her mind had conjured up something too nightmarish to comprehend. The real beast, while frightening, was still just another earthly creature. Immensely powerful, but not indestructible. And then seeing the human face behind her mysterious tormentor had lowered the fear even further. A thought had come to Amethyst. A dangerous one.   
  
_She’s like me_.  
  
Lycans weren’t disliked in the way that her subspecies of werewolf was, but she knew that most other supernatural beings tended to give them a wide berth. Amethyst knew lycans were shapeshifters and they had human forms, just like werewolves did. But Amethyst had rarely considered what the human form of a lycan would be like. Lycans were known for their viciousness and Amethyst had assumed that their human counterparts were equally so. More beast than human, barely capable of speech and feral to the point of being dangerous. But Jasper was just a regular human woman. An intimidating human woman to be sure, but a human woman no less capable of being human than any other person in the town. She appeared to have an alright rapport with the people in town. She owned a business. She was just living a normal human life, her secret completely unknown to the humans she knew.   
  
Amethyst felt envious, and then angered by her feelings. She growled and struck the trunk of a tree with the heel of her boot. She was chilled through to the bone and for all she knew, she could’ve been a few miles from the edge of town already. She felt like she’d run for a long time. Perhaps it had only been minutes. The patch of sky visible through the trees above her was dark blue and dotted with stars, but it had looked like that when she’d started. If she hadn’t been soaking wet and rapidly losing body heat, she would’ve climbed a tree to see if she could see the moon. But the thought of climbing to a higher place out of the shelter of the trees where a wind could hit her was too much to bear. She had to warm up. That was the first priority. Or she’d be frozen by morning.   
  
Within a few minutes of hastily gathering kindling and clearing off the ground by hand, Amethyst had started a small fire. She hurriedly put larger pieces of wood on top of it. Thankfully there was plenty of dry, dead wood available to her.  
  
The woman took a seat on a rock on the ground, close to the flames. When she felt somewhat warmed, she stripped down to her undergarments. The dress was made of heavy fabric, meant to be worn in the colder weather. It wouldn’t dry on her body, and it would only impede her attempts to get warm. She laid the dress out flat on the ground. She hoped it would dry quickly, because she didn’t have much else to wear. She didn’t dare strip right down to her skin, fearing it would be too risky. But the comparatively lighter fabric of her undergarments was quick to dry. And once she was dry and warm, she felt better.   
  
In the time that had passed, Amethyst hadn’t thought about Pearl at all. She thought about her then, as she held her hands out, palms to the flames. She felt a tightness in her chest, the sudden warning of tears that threatened to abruptly overwhelm her. Pearl had surely returned from Candlewood and was looking for her, wondering where she’d gone. Could Pearl track her scent into the woods?  
  
Amethyst gazed at the hypnotic orange flames and she rubbed her hands together. She indulged herself in the fantasy of Pearl suddenly bursting through the trees, her eyes wide and her expression worried. Her gaze would settle on Amethyst. And then she’d break into a run, fall to her knees next to Amethyst and grab her in a tight embrace.   
  
“I was so worried! What happened?!” she’d ask. And Amethyst would collapse into her, cling to her, and everything would be alright.  
  
Amethyst sighed and rubbed her hands over her arms. She’d taken off into the woods and she hadn’t once checked to see if Jasper had really given chase. Much like their first encounter, Amethyst had run from her and hadn’t sustained an actual attack. It seemed odd, since a lycan was certainly faster than a human woman. Amethyst thought about it, furrowing her brow.   
  
“She’s toying with me…” she murmured. She wasn’t certain of it, but she thought it could be the case. She didn’t know for sure if there were two lycans, but she didn’t know why Jasper would lie about something like that. If there were really two, she hadn’t seen the second one, Lapis, at all. Lapis had been the one shot by the arrow, according to Jasper. Which seemed to indicate that Lapis was the one that had attacked the townspeople, not Jasper. Jasper had chased Amethyst both times and had let her go on purpose. Sure, the first time she’d managed to get within the bounds of Candlewood in time, but Amethyst still didn’t believe she’d just slipped out of Jasper’s grasp because of pure luck. Lycans were efficient predators.   
  
“What are you thinking about so intently, runt?” Jasper’s voice suddenly grunted from nearby.   
  
Amethyst started and she was on her feet in an instant. She reached instinctively for her dagger but realized quickly that she didn’t have it. Not that a dagger would do much against a lycan, even in human form. If it had been a silver dagger, maybe… But that would’ve hurt her as well.   
  
Jasper was uncomfortably close, for having gone unnoticed by Amethyst. She was only a few feet away, beyond the fire and leaning against a tree trunk in shadow. Only the light from the camp fire reflecting off her golden eyes moved. The fact that she’d been so close and Amethyst hadn’t heard or sensed her at all was unnerving. Amethyst considered running again. But she felt suddenly hopeless. Jasper could chase her forever. She could run from her forever. She didn’t want to run from her.  
  
“Fine, you win,” Amethyst sighed. She let her stance relax and she threw open her arms to Jasper. “Come on. Come maul me.”   
  
Jasper tilted her head. “You’re not going to run?”  
  
“No…”  
  
Jasper flashed a grin. “Good.”   
  
The woman moved back from the tree and she walked towards the fire. Amethyst tensed up but she kept her feet planted in the earth. She kept her eyes hard and defiantly held Jasper’s gaze even as the woman came to stand within swiping distance of her. They took a long moment to size each other up. Amethyst hated that she had to crane her neck to look at Jasper’s face at such a close distance. Jasper abruptly dropped into a sit on the ground, which startled Amethyst. She remained standing but then Jasper waved her hand at her.   
  
“Go ahead, sit,” she growled, impatiently. “I don’t feel like chasing you.”   
  
“I don’t feel like running, either.”   
  
“Yeah…”   
  
Amethyst frowned, took a step back, then awkwardly sat back down on the rock. She kept her gaze trained on Jasper, hard and distrusting. But Jasper was of course not intimidated by her presence or even interested in looking at her at all. The woman was examining her fingernails with a disinterested expression.  
  
“Why did you give Garnet human meat?” Amethyst asked, abruptly. “How did you even know it was for me?”  
  
“It was pork.”  
  
“I know the difference,” Amethyst answered, her voice low. “You think even as a werewolf I’d mistake human flesh for a pork shoulder?”   
  
“You’re smarter than you look,” Jasper said, raising her gaze to stare at Amethyst from across the fire. “But then, that’s not saying much.”

“I don’t _want_ to be a lycan!” Amethyst shouted. “I wanted out of this curse but I would _never_ be a lycan!”  
  
Jasper snorted. “What are you talking about? You’re the only one who _isn’t_ cursed. You were never human.”  
  
“You don’t know anything about me,” Amethyst snarled. “Don’t talk to me like you know me.”  
  
“I don’t know _you_ but I know your _type_ ,” Jasper clarified, taking no notice of Amethyst’s anger. “You never got bitten. You’re talking like you can reverse something. There’s nothing to reverse. You were born like this.”   
  
Amethyst lowered her gaze, saying nothing.   
  
“You’re not human. You’re not even really a _female_ , if you think about it,” Jasper chuckled. “You’re more like a hermaphrodite, right? When you’re not transformed, do you even have…” The woman across from Amethyst looked her over and Amethyst became abruptly aware of the fact that she was only clad in her undergarments. Amethyst self-consciously wrapped her arms around herself and her body language became more closed off. She looked away from Jasper.   
  
“That’s not your business…” Amethyst said, her voice coming out not nearly as forceful as she would’ve liked.   
  
“Yeah… Guess not,” Jasper agreed. She looked bored. “Whatever you are, you’re not cursed. That’s all I was saying.”  
  
“It’s a curse,” Amethyst answered. Her voice was hard but the volume had lowered. “I can’t control it…”  
  
“Lycans can control it.”  
  
Amethyst shook her head, furiously. “I’m not eating human flesh!”   
  
“You don’t have to kill anyone. You don’t have to do it more than once.”  
  
“I don’t care!”  
  
“You wouldn’t have to transform ever again if you didn’t want to,” Jasper said. “Or… you could do it whenever you wanted. If you needed to go blow off steam you could run off into the woods and then come back and live as a human again. No one would ever know.”   
  
Amethyst faltered. “It wouldn’t matter. I’d still be immortal.”   
  
“So’s the witch,” Jasper replied. “And she lives with humans. They even seem to respect her. It’s doable. If you really wanted that life.”  
  
Amethyst shook her head again. “That’s not how I want to do it… look, maybe… maybe some werewolves can make the change and just do it once and be okay but… I know I couldn’t. It’s in my blood. My mom, she…”   
  
“You think you’ll just lose your mind and start eating people?”   
  
“I know I would…” Amethyst answered, sullenly. “I’m so much like her that it scares me… It’s like I’m just one bad decision away from being a monster.”   
  
“What happened?” Jasper asked.   
  
Amethyst was quiet. Then she cast her narrowed gaze to the side. “I don’t know why I’m telling you, since you’re one of them. But my wolfmother… that’s uh, what we call our-”  
  
“Yeah, yeah. Your other mother, sure,” Jasper interjected.   
  
“She didn’t stay with us either. She thought it was dangerous for us so… she only came home sometimes. Mostly it was my human mother and me. She only came back every so often. Which… now that I’m mated to someone… I realize it must’ve been really agonizing for both of them to endure.”   
  
Amethyst glanced up. Jasper didn’t say anything or make any sound, but her eyes were on her.   
  
“The last time she came back, she was different… When I came home that morning from fetching water from the well, I…” Amethyst trailed off, feeling like her throat had closed up. She squeezed her eyes shut. She’d never spoken of it, not to any other soul. She’d never intended to, and the fact that she was telling it to a stranger who had tormented her over the past few days felt wrong.

But at the same time, she didn’t really care what Jasper thought of her or her life. Maybe she was the only person she _could_ tell.

“My wolfmother had _eaten_ her…” Amethyst said, weakly. “They were mated, soul-bonded. And it wasn’t enough to just kill her. She had to eat her, too? I’ll never forget the smell of it…” Amethyst almost wretched just recalling the memory of the scent that had hung so thick and heavy in the air. It had practically coated the inside of her throat. “I didn’t know anything back then. I didn’t know what lycans were and I didn’t know that there were different kinds of werewolves in the world besides the ones we were. All I know is… The bond she had with my human mother wasn’t enough to keep her from doing that. I didn’t know until years later that she’d become a lycan. I never saw her lycan form, but… if she was eating human flesh, she’d already changed. That day when I saw her for the last time.”

“You didn’t ask her why she did that?”

Amethyst glared. “Why would I? I didn’t want to _talk_ to her! She’d completely lost her mind!”

Jasper was unbothered by Amethyst’s anger. “Just seems like you didn’t get the whole story.”

“There wasn’t a reason, it was just something that happened. It was pointless.”

“Hm.”

The two of them sat in silence for a while. Amethyst moodily stared at the fire, marinating in her agitation. Jasper didn’t speak, although she felt like she was waiting for her to.

“So… you kill humans and butcher them?” Amethyst asked. She tried to keep her tone neutral, despite her personal disgust with it.

“No. I get human meat from a supplier; I don’t hunt humans. I’ve never even eaten one. Not really my thing…”

“So how did…”

“A lycan bit me. I wasn’t ever a werewolf. Lycans _can_ pass it on through a bite, you know.”

“Why do you have it?” Amethyst asked. “Who’s eating human meat? Lapis?”

Jasper scoffed. “You’re pretty judgmental for someone who’s fucking a vampire.”

Amethyst felt herself bristle. “Pearl doesn’t kill humans…”   
  
“So she says,” Jasper answered.   
  
“I believe her.”

“Look, you’re not the only immortal creature to come rolling into town,” Jasper said. “Glenmere’s right in the middle of a lot of trade routes. Tourists come up in the summer… we get some supernatural traffic, too. And some of them do prey on humans.” Jasper was nonchalant about it. “People in the know can come to the shop and get their fix and it keeps them out of trouble. Keeps them from hunting in town.”

Amethyst’s expression didn’t change. “It’s still disgusting.”

“Lots of disgusting things happen in the world. It’s more of a harm reduction approach.”

“So you _care_ about people in town?” Amethyst seethed.

Jasper shrugged. “Sure. I live there. They pay me. I don’t wanna see ‘em get hurt or eaten because some traveller couldn’t help themselves. And that goes for your vampire, too. I give her animal blood, no questions asked. Better she get it from me than have to out hunting for it and decide humans are easier to catch.”

Amethyst felt fairly confident that Pearl would never rely on humans for her sustenance. She was certain Pearl would’ve died before doing such a thing. At least in that regard, they both seemed to share that value.

Amethyst hunched over, drawing a line with her finger in the soil around her feet. Jasper got up and Amethyst raised her eyes, tensing up. But the woman was merely going to throw another piece of lumber on the fire. She tossed it in, dispersing sparks in the night air. Then she took a seat once more. Amethyst exhaled and she closed her eyes.

“Okay…” she relented. “But… what about Lapis?”

“The only reason she’s acting up is because of you. She’s way too territorial for her own good.” Jasper groaned and shook her head. “Dunno why she’s like that. But other lycans don’t seem to bother her much. So I thought if you’re really gonna stay in town, safer for you and everyone else if you were a lycan than a werewolf.”

“I’ve never even met her!” Amethyst protested.

“Sure you have. First night you came here, remember?”

Amethyst thought for a moment. “What, that prostitute in front of the tavern?” she asked in shock. “That woman was a lycan?”

Jasper laughed. “Hard to believe?”

“Everyone I ever talked to told me that lycans were savage and sadistic…” Amethyst murmured. “But I guess they say that about werewolves, vampires, demons... everything.”

“The only thing I kinda regret is killing the witch’s horse,” Jasper admitted, reluctantly. “Stupid thing wouldn’t stop panicking and rearing when I came out of the woods. I had to shut it up. And then I thought maybe I could display the kill like it was a warning. But I don’t actually want the witch to have it out for me.”

“Even in my werewolf form, I couldn’t take down a horse…” Amethyst said with a wry smile.

“Not much point. They’re so lean and gamey.” Jasper wrinkled her nose.

“I would mostly hunt rabbits,” Amethyst answered.

“Yeah, rabbit is okay,” Jasper agreed.

“And pheasant,” Amethyst added.

“Well yeah, you gotta have pheasant.”

“One time when I was transformed, I got into a chicken coop and took some chickens. The farmer shot at me and I got so spooked that I didn’t come out of the woods for like three days.”

Jasper laughed again. “No pack, huh? Don’t werewolves have packs?”

“Some, yeah… I tried to join up with a pack when I was younger but no one wanted a Danbian werewolf in the group.”

Jasper rolled her eyes. “Fucking werewolves, like they got any right to be so picky. They can’t think of one useful thing a smaller werewolf can do? Idiots.”  
  
Amethyst was surprised by Jasper’s vitriol but she felt herself responding to it. She felt a surge of fire in her belly at Jasper’s words and her tone of voice. It reflected how she felt, herself. “Yeah!” she agreed. “They are fucking idiots... I actually hate werewolves, now that I think about it. What the fuck has a werewolf ever done for me, lately?”  
  
“Exactly! Fuck ‘em,” Jasper agreed. “They’re so paranoid and cliquey.”  
  
Amethyst laughed. “Yeah... god, they really _are_. What’s with that?”   
  
“Who knows?” Jasper answered. “But you probably shouldn’t tie yourself in knots trying to please them.”   
  
“Yeah... I guess not. I gave up on that a long time ago, anyways.”  
  
“Good. It’s pointless,” Jasper affirmed. Silence fell between them once more. Then Jasper got to her feet with a sigh, with Amethyst’s eyes following her upwards. “Well... I guess I’d better go before your bloodsucking lover comes looking for you.”   
  
“What about Lapis?” Amethyst asked. “Can you tell her I don’t want any trouble? I’m not interested in her territory, or whatever. Can you tell her that? That’ll get her to stop, right?”   
  
“She won’t give you trouble for a couple of days at least,” Jasper answered. “She’s pretty sick. I’ll try...” Jasper didn’t sound certain of herself, though. Amethyst thought she caught fear in the other woman’s voice, but it was difficult to be sure. Her single encounter with Lapis hadn’t left much of an impression on her. She found it hard to fathom how Jasper could be fearful of her. But she didn’t know anything about Lapis and very little about Jasper.

“Okay…” Amethyst said. “Thanks for… heh. Not killing me, I guess.”

“For now,” Jasper answered with a smirk. “See ya ‘round, runt…”  
  
“Ah, wait…” Amethyst said, remembering something else. She extended her hand towards Jasper and the woman turned to give her a quizzical look. “You said something before… about a lycan you knew… named Amethyst… right…?”  
  
Jasper said nothing.   
  
“Or were you just messing with me?” Amethyst asked.   
  
“What do you think?” Jasper asked. “Okay, I can really smell that vampire, now. Stop by my place in town if you feel like it. The witch will tell you where to go if you don’t know.”   
  
She walked off, melting away in the shadows of the trees. Amethyst watched her depart before returning her gaze to the fire. She threw another piece of wood on and her stomach grumbled.

It wasn’t long before Amethyst heard the calling of her name, unmistakably Pearl’s voice. She perked up to it right away, getting to her feet once more and taking a few steps from the warmth of the fire to peer into the shadowed woods. The calling was distant at first, but grew closer quickly as Pearl had seemingly locked in on Amethyst’s vitals.

Amethyst broke into a short run, standing under a patch of moonlight that shone through the openings between the branches of the trees. She stopped and looked around, calling for Pearl. And then all of a sudden the vampire descended from the sky, her shadow falling across Amethyst before she landed next to her, although at a noticeable distance. Pearl straightened, dropping the bags she’d been carrying. The vampire regarded Amethyst with uncertain eyes. She started to form a question but Amethyst didn’t wait. She closed the gap between them and grabbed Pearl tightly in a crushing hug, pressing into her like she wanted to be absorbed by her.

Pearl returned the embrace but it felt stiff and restrained. When she took notice of the fact that Amethyst was only in her underwear, Pearl took the edges of her cloak and wrapped them around Amethyst’s body to try and warm her. But even then, she felt rigid and tense.  
  
“Are you alright?” Pearl asked, her voice soft. She sounded oddly broken, like she was exhausted or defeated. Amethyst didn’t like it at all and she began furiously nuzzling into Pearl’s shoulder.  
  
“I love you, Pearl…” Amethyst spoke, feeling like it was the first thing she had to reassure Pearl of. Pearl seemed to be holding herself back, unsure of what to do or say.  
  
“Amethyst…” Pearl’s tone was foreboding.   
  
“The constable, he confronted me in the street… he accused me of being the lycan!” Amethyst hurriedly blurted out. She didn’t want to tell Pearl about Jasper. Amethyst wasn’t entirely certain of what to think of Jasper at that moment, and she doubted protective Pearl would take a nuanced look at the lycan’s actions.  
  
She felt Pearl’s fingertips curl against her back. “What?”  
  
“I got scared… I ran…” Amethyst added.   
  
Pearl was silent. When she spoke again, her voice cracked. “You don’t have to lie… did you want to go? I-it’s okay if you want to go, Amethyst… they always go in the end. I… I understand if you do…”   
  
“What?” Amethyst pulled back from Pearl to look at her. “Like leave you?”   
  
Pearl nodded, closing her eyes and looking pained. “I’m not going to force you to stay with me…”  
  
“Why do you think I’m gonna leave you, Pearl?” Amethyst asked, her own voice going soft. She gazed worriedly at the vampire but Pearl tried to turn her face away.   
  
Pearl sniffled. “Well… it seems like I’ve done nothing but upset you today… when I came back to town, you had gone and now… you’re here, you look like you’re camping out…” Pearl gestured limply to the fire. “And I can _sense_ that you’re lying about _why_ … A-are you afraid to tell me the truth? I can handle it if… if you don’t want to do this anymore… we did move so fast, it’s true… this has been such a whirlwind romance. I can understand if you’re…”   
  
“Pearl, stop. Stop…” Amethyst put a hand to her lips, unable to listen to any more. She looked worriedly at her. Pearl was upset, but she also seemed so resigned to the idea that Amethyst didn’t want to be with her. Amethyst felt like her heart was breaking. She let go of Pearl and instead moved her hands down her arms and wrists, to grip Pearl’s hands in her own. She paused, glancing down at them. “Your hands feel warm…” she observed. Pearl’s body wasn’t typically cold, but was usually cool to the touch and then absorbed heat from Amethyst without generating much of its own. Even that morning, Amethyst hadn’t completely noticed it. Pearl really had changed.   
  
Pearl looked dully at her hands, then at Amethyst. Amethyst smiled at her.   
  
“I’m not gonna leave you, okay? I know how this looks… Come sit by the fire with me, okay? I’ll tell you… but you have to promise not to freak out, alright?”   
  
Pearl blinked and then nodded. “Alright…” she said, uneasily. “But… can you please put some clothes on? You’re going to freeze to death out here. Look, I brought your clothes from home… er… from Candlewood. And your pack. I brought everything…” Pearl reached down to pick it up and Amethyst bounced excitedly, snatching it from her hands.   
  
“Thanks! Oh… I’m starving…” She unfastened the clasp on her pack and dug around for her tinned meat. It wasn’t exactly gourmet food, but it was the sort of thing she’d eaten up until a few days ago, anyways. It had always made a serviceable meal when she was traveling.   
  
Pearl smiled. “I thought you’d probably be famished… I brought some food for myself, too…” She raised her arm revealing she’d brought a few pints of blood that were strapped to her belt on her side. She still regarded Amethyst nervously. “This is really… alright?”   
  
“Sit with me, Pearl,” Amethyst urged, giving her a tug backwards towards the fire. “Everything’s okay, I promise.”   
  
\--  
  
As luck would have it, Pearl had been too focused on locating Amethyst to take notice of Jasper walking back through the woods towards town. The woman saw the vampire sail over the treetops above her head, briefly. And then she was gone. Jasper returned to town and immediately headed to the house she shared with Lapis.  
  
The house was dark when she entered and the woman scowled and went to light some of the lamps before she removed her cloak and hung it over one the kitchen chairs. “Lapis!” she called up to the ceiling. “You’d better be in bed when I get up there!” She waited, but there wasn’t a response.   
  
“You better not be out…” Jasper grumbled under her breath.   
  
She headed up the narrow staircase to the second floor of the house. The floor creaked under her heavy boots as she made the short walk down the hall to the bedroom. The door was closed but there was clear candlelight flickering from under it. Jasper hesitated, unsure if she was prepared for what she would find in the bedroom. But then she turned the doorknob and pushed her way in. Habitually, she ducked as she passed through the doorway, as she was taller than the doorframes in the house. She immediately exhaled a sigh of relief.   
  
Lapis was alive and sitting upright in the bed, propped up on several pillows and reading a book by candlelight. She glanced up when Jasper entered and set the book down on her lap. “Hey.”   
  
Jasper was startled by the sight of the other woman’s face. Lapis had taken a turn for the worse. The point where the arrow had punctured her face had begun to fester. The skin around it was mottled and grey, with pustules beginning to dot the area around her eye. The eye itself had swollen almost completely shut. The rest of her face looked completely normal, but the poisoned flesh was beginning to spread. She hadn’t been healing, as she’d assured Jasper she was doing.   
  
Jasper couldn’t help but become angry at the sight. She growled and kicked over a waste basket near the door. It sailed across the room and hit the far wall with force. “Have you seen your face today?!” Jasper demanded, angrily. “You told me that it was getting better!”  
  
Lapis regarded Jasper with a dull expression and said nothing.   
  
“We have to get the witch in here to heal you, Lapis… that silver arrow went too deep. There’s probably pieces of it lodged in your skull.”   
  
“If we go to the witch, she’ll know I’m the lycan who attacked the people in town last night,” Lapis answered.  
  
Jasper huffed. “Well… we need to do _something_ ,” she answered, agitated.   
  
“Does it really matter if I die?”   
  
“Don’t start,” Jasper warned, raising a finger. She began to pace the room while Lapis watched her, unperturbed. “Why’d you have to act out?” Jasper demanded as she paced. Lapis said nothing. “There’s another witch in Bridgepoint… strictly white magic. I can get to her easily if I’m transformed…”  
  
“The White Witch?” Lapis asked. She frowned. “Seriously?”  
  
“I don’t have another plan, do you?” Jasper snapped at her. “Besides dying, I guess?”   
  
“I deserve to die, after what I did…” Lapis answered, glumly. She lowered herself down in the bed, into a lying down position. “Just leave me to suffer. I don’t care… How many people did I kill last night? Five?”  
  
“Well _I_ don’t want you to die, Lapis,” Jasper snarled. “Don’t be so stupid.”   
  
Lapis sighed. She closed her eyes, looking weary. “I don’t think she’ll heal a lycan.”   
  
“I’ll make her an offer she can’t refuse,” Jasper answered. “And then… maybe we’ll think about getting out of here, okay?” She went to the bed and leaned over it, setting her hands on the mattress.   
  
“We could talk about it, I guess…” Lapis mumbled. She opened her good eye and looked at Jasper. “You’re weird.”   
  
“You’re the one who dragged me into this,” Jasper said, standing up straight. “You don’t get to bail out, now.”   
  
“Whatever…” Lapis looked moodily at the far wall. She cracked a deranged looking smile. “You’d better hurry, Jasper. Who knows how long I have left?”   
  
“Don’t die, I’m serious…” Jasper warned.   
  
“Okaaay~” Lapis sighed.   
  
Jasper backed towards the door, glaring. “I’m serious, Lapis. Don’t die.”   
  
“Mmhm… just go.”   
  
“Don’t die!” Jasper left the room and hurried down the stairs. She didn’t take anything with her as she flung open the front door, turned and locked it, storing the key up above the porch lantern where it wasn’t easily accessible or spotted. Then she hurried off into what remained of the night, immediately cutting into the forest where she couldn’t be seen by the increasingly paranoid people of the town.   
  
\--  
  
Pearl had been staring rather intently at the fire for a long time after Amethyst had finished telling her what happened. The vampire had refused to sit close to Amethyst and had instead taken a seat on a fallen log across the fire from her. Amethyst had changed into the clothes Pearl had brought from Candlewood, and she’d eaten some of the tinned meat that was in her pack. It did enough to satisfy her, for the time being. As much as she’d been looking forward to going out with Pearl, she had a sense that it wasn’t going to come to pass that night.   
  
“I’m not lying,” Amethyst spoke up.   
  
“No, I… I know you’re not…” Pearl answered, distractedly. She glanced up from the flames, meeting Amethyst’s gaze. “I don’t like any of this…”   
  
“I know, but… let’s just leave it and see what happens,” Amethyst suggested. “Jasper could’ve killed me if she’d wanted to, but she didn’t.”   
  
“Oh, that’s an awfully low bar to clear,” Pearl said, bitterly. “Not killing you means she’s an ally, now?”   
  
“I didn’t say she was, but… it really sounds like she’s just trying to help Lapis.”   
  
“Lapis, who killed people in town, yesterday.”   
  
“Pearl,” Amethyst said, her voice sharp but pleading. “I’m not saying it’s right, but we don’t know anything about what she might be dealing with. It could easily have been either of us if things had turned out differently.” Pearl frowned. She looked away from Amethyst, narrowing her eyes.

“Amethyst…” Pearl sighed, her tone betraying her frustration. “You haven’t let a lot of people into your life, so I do worry that others can sense that about you and might take advantage of your trust… The truth is that most immortal beings look down upon humans and don’t think much of killing them. The same way you didn’t think much of killing and eating those snakes.”

“I know that…” Amethyst answered.

“I don’t think we should trust either of these lycans so readily. And we certainly shouldn’t give them a pass. Didn’t you forget how frightened you were of them just a few days ago?”

“Yeah, but…” Amethyst frowned to herself. “They’re like me.”

“They’re _nothing_ like you!” Pearl gasped. “You… you’re sweet and sensitive and gentle!”

“You don’t know everything about me…” Amethyst replied, darkly.

“I don’t,” Pearl admitted. “But… I still saw into your heart, Amethyst. Where you can’t hide anything. The person I see before me… she’s the real you. I felt you so deeply…” Pearl closed her eyes and placed a hand against her chest. “And now a part of your soul resides within me. I feel like we understand each other. Don’t you feel that way, too?”

Amethyst was surprised and then couldn’t help but blush and play with a lock of hair as she looked away from Pearl. “Heh… well…”

“Or do you not take us seriously?” Pearl asked, looking away from Amethyst with a pout.

“Aw, what? I do…” Amethyst said. Pearl didn’t reply.   
  
Amethyst got up and she walked around the fire, to sit next to Pearl. She sat close to her, right against her, and tried to get the vampire to look at her. Pearl stubbornly refused to make eye contact, but her lips were pursed and her hands were resting tensely on her thighs. Amethyst cautiously placed a hand on one of Pearl’s hands. She felt Pearl flinch, but the vampire didn’t pull away.   
  
“I love you…” Amethyst said, softly. She rested her chin against Pearl’s rigid shoulder. Pearl said nothing. “Do you love me?” she asked, frowning. She rubbed her cheek against Pearl’s shoulder and made a rather pathetic puppy-ish whine.   
  
“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Pearl said through grit teeth.   
  
“Is it wearing you down?” Amethyst asked, wearing the faintest hint of a smile.   
  


Pearl glared at the ground, her cheeks flushing. Amethyst leaned in closer, kissing the vampire’s neck, although it was difficult to do when Pearl was wearing a high collar.   
  
“I don’t want you to be upset with me…” Amethyst said, her voice a bit babyish sounding. “I don’t want to upset my mistress…”   
  
Pearl jolted and she finally looked at Amethyst. “Your _what_?”   
  
Amethyst faltered for a moment. She was terrible at being alluring or seductive. She didn’t know exactly how to initiate anything. But Pearl was such an easy target that it was possible it didn’t matter. “I’m your pet…” Amethyst continued, stroking Pearl’s hand. “I don’t want you to be mad at me… I only want to please you…”   
  
Pearl inhaled, sharply. “A-Amethyst… you don’t have to lay it on so thick…”   
  
“I’m sorry I upset you… I want to make you feel better, mistress…”   
  
Pearl swallowed. “O-okay... okay.” She looked at Amethyst full on. “Let’s be serious for a moment... These lycans... I’m not a fan of either of them. Even if one of them has been providing me with blood.” She took a breath. “Not to mention that her trying to serve human meat to you is in clear violation of several laws and is a breakdown of customer-seller trust.”   
  
Amethyst snorted a laugh. “Yeah, okay... I wasn’t into that part, either.”  
  
Pearl sighed and she leaned back on her seat on the log, looking up at the sky through the treetops. “It would be very hypocritical of me to judge other supernatural creatures for eating that particular diet, I suppose. I do have to wonder if she’s actually using a supplier. And if so, obviously that meat is coming from somewhere. Someone is getting hurt.”  
  
“Yeah...” Amethyst lowered her gaze to the ground. “I always felt more human than anything else, so it’s basically cannibalism for me.” She shuddered. “When I learned that werewolves turn to lycans when they eat human flesh, I made sure to avoid anything that could even be _kind_ of human, just to be safe. It’s not something that would happen around here, but... I’ve been to a lot of different countries in my life and there’s places where famine is a big problem. There _is_ some of that going on in the world...”  
  
“I believe it,” Pearl said. “Although I can’t say I’ve travelled far or experienced much... I still know that there are horrible things that happen.”

“We know who they are, so we can keep tabs on them, now,” Amethyst continued.

“I suppose…” Pearl muttered, reluctantly. “Yes… Alright. But we have to let Garnet and Bismuth know what’s going on.”

Amethyst broke into a wide grin. “Aww… I knew you’d understand.”

“I don’t know if I understand so much as I want to make you happy.” Pearl smiled, faintly. “I just… like to see you happy.”

Amethyst blushed again. “Yeah?”

“It makes me feel at ease…” Pearl continued. She leaned towards her mate and tenderly brushed some of her hair back from her face. “If you’re hurting, I’m hurting.”

Amethyst crawled into Pearl’s lap, sitting so she was facing her. Pearl took the opportunity to gently play with her hair and at the touches, Amethyst closed her eyes and tilted her head. “I can’t believe you thought I was gonna break it off with you after last night…”

Pearl looked embarrassed. “I might have jumped the gun,” she admitted. “But I thought it was appropriate…”

“How so?”

“I suppose… I’m used to living a life where happy moments come only fleetingly. I thought it would go like that. That you’d leave me and I’d return to Candlewood alone, like I always have.”

Amethyst put her hand on Pearl’s cheek. “You know, I saw into your heart, too. I could feel how lonely you were and how scared you were to do this with me…”

“I can’t let fear stop me from being with you,” Pearl answered. “Even if I’m giving you the means to hurt me… I want to take a chance. I’ve said that before.”

“I’m never gonna hurt you, Pearl…” Amethyst leaned in closer. “I can’t leave you…” She placed her hand on Pearl’s chest. “I’m all yours…”

“You’re mine…” Pearl agreed, possessively. The vampire was happy that Amethyst indulged her. She let her hands slide down the curves of Amethyst’s sides, shamelessly groping her soft body. Amethyst straightened her spine just a bit, inhaling softly. Pearl’s hands came to rest on her hips. “You do love to be touched, don’t you, Pet?”

“Mmhmm…”

“You were so touch-starved, before… you poor thing. There was no one to take care of you, was there?”

“No…”

“I’m going to make sure you’re such a spoiled pet…” Pearl whispered. She leaned up, bringing her lips close to Amethyst’s ear. “I’ll see to your every need. You’ll want for nothing. I’ll fill you so completely, you’ll never feel empty again.”

Amethyst shivered. “Okay…” she agreed, meekly. She closed her eyes and wet her lips. “That sounds amazing…”

Pearl inhaled near Amethyst’s shoulder, the closeness of which caused the shorter woman to shiver in excitement. The air all around her body was buzzing with enhanced sensitivity. She could feel when Pearl was close without touching her. “Did that lycan touch you?” Pearl suddenly asked in a low, husky whisper.

Amethyst’s eyes fluttered open. “Wh-what? What do you mean?”

“Did she _touch_ you?” Pearl asked again, more forcefully. “I can smell her on you.”

“Sh-she did a little…” Amethyst admitted.

“She left her scent on you,” Pearl said, shaking her head. “How terrible…”   
  
“You’d better put your scent on me, then,” Amethyst suggested. She leaned back from Pearl, still perched on her hips. With the allotted space, Amethyst’s hands moved to her front, where she began to fiddle with the clasp on her cloak, to Pearl’s surprise.   
  
“Isn’t it quite cold out here for you?” Pearl asked, worriedly.   
  
“Come on, let’s fuck!” Amethyst insisted, bouncing on Pearl’s hips to emphasize her excitement.   
  
Pearl stared at her. “Let’s _fuck_?” she asked. “Is that what we’re doing, now? Fucking?”   
  
Amethyst hesitated and Pearl suddenly gripped her by the hair, pulling her head back to expose her neck. The woman made a squeak of surprise at the gesture and then gasped when Pearl’s lips harshly pressed against her throat.   
  
“I haven’t even begun to fuck you yet, Pet,” Pearl growled. “I don’t know if you could handle that from me.” She grinned against Amethyst’s neck.   
  
“Y-you mean… you’ve been going easy on me?” Amethyst asked, breathlessly. She felt Pearl’s grip on her hair loosen, then relax completely. The vampire trailed her fingers through Amethyst’s hair.   
  
“Of course I have…”  
  
Amethyst huffed, indignantly. “You don’t have to be gentle with me, Pearl. I’m tough!”  
  
“It’s not about that…” Pearl answered. “It’s about establishing trust, learning each other’s boundaries… despite how things are progressing between us, it’s still very early into our relationship.”   
  
“I guess…” Amethyst relented. She didn’t know much about that sort of thing but the thought that Pearl was holding back on her was… intriguing, to say the least.   
  
“Don’t worry, Pet… We’ve got plenty of time to do rougher things,” Pearl murmured. “But for now… we need to go back to town and find Garnet and Bismuth.”  
  
“What? Right now?” Amethyst whined.   
  
“Yes. We can’t wait…” Pearl lifted Amethyst off her lap and ignored her pouting as she stood up and dusted herself off.   
  
“Okay…” Amethyst groused. Pearl smiled and patted the top of her head.   
  
“Good girl,” she cooed.   
  
\--  
  
Garnet and Bismuth’s investigating in town hadn’t turned up any promising leads. Still, it hadn’t been completely wasteful. There was a palpable sense of fear and anxiety throughout the town. Windows were shuttered and the streets were nearly empty after dark. Several constables were on duty, their presence more prominent in the barren streets. One of them gave Bismuth and Garnet a look over as they passed but he didn’t say anything. He simply gave a nod and tipped his hat.   
  
“I guess we can’t completely rule out the idea that this lycan isn’t local,” Bismuth said after they were out of earshot of the constable. In their time around the town, they’d quizzed everyone who would give them the time of day. Although they’d uncovered some amusing secrets among the townsfolk, everyone appeared to be in the dark about the lycan’s identity. Bismuth had observed something else, though.  
  
Garnet, patiently making the rounds, had spent time specifically speaking with those directly affected by the lycan attacks. One had been a pregnant woman with two children who had lost her husband the previous night. Relatives had come to care for her and had almost turned Garnet and Bismuth away at the door, but the woman allowed them in.   
  
Bismuth had kept her distance in the woman’s living room, whereas Garnet sat close to her, touching her hand. The witch seemed legitimately moved by the widow’s pain. She spoke gently and assured her over and over that they would find the culprit responsible. Then Garnet produced a small tied bag from her belt and placed it in the widow’s open palm.   
  
“This will help you get some sleep if you need it,” Garnet said, softly. “Dissolve a teaspoon into a cup of liquid and drink it.”  
  
“Is it safe for the baby?” the woman asked, worriedly.   
  
“Yes, you have my word. It will only help you sleep. It won’t harm you or the baby, I promise.”   
  
The widow sighed and she nodded, closing her fingers around the bag. “Thank you, Garnet…”  
  
“I knew it was probably a long shot,” Garnet admitted as she walked with Bismuth along rows of houses. “But I wanted to check in…”   
  
“I understand,” Bismuth answered. “I always forget you have a heart after all.”   
  
Garnet chuckled. “I try… It’s been centuries, but I can still remember what it feels like to be a mortal human. The world can feel like a very hostile place.”   
  
“Yeah…” Bismuth agreed. “It’s hostile even when you’re not mortal.” She looked thoughtfully up at the sky. “So what do you think? Should we call it a night?”  
  
“There’s one more stop I wanted to make,” Garnet replied. She pointed on ahead where the final house sat at the end of the road. Unlike the others which had windows lit up and signs of life inside, the last house was dark.

The pair of them stepped up to the front door and Garnet knocked. They waited a few moments before Garnet knocked again. Bismuth stepped out from under the awning, leaning back to look up at one of the windows on the second floor. The curtains were all drawn and the house was silent. She looked back to Garnet, who tried knocking a third time.

“I don’t think anyone’s home, Garnet,” Bismuth piped up.

“Hmm…” Garnet walked along the porch and leaned over, cupping her hands around her face and peering into the front window.

“Garnet! Bismuth!” Pearl called from above. Bismuth looked up and hovering above them was Pearl, holding Amethyst against her.

“Hey, you two!” Bismuth greeted with an enthusiastic wave. She walked to the end of the road where Pearl touched down. “We were wondering if you lovebirds were ever gonna get out of bed.”

Garnet walked back from the house and turned to look up at it. She stood for a few moments, staring up at the bedroom window. She was almost certain she saw a shimmer of movement in the curtain. But she couldn’t be sure. She went to join the others on the road. “Good to see you two up and about. How are you feeling, Amethyst?”

“Ah, good… I’m fine,” Amethyst answered. “Look, uh… to both of you. I’m really sorry I wasn’t that nice the last couple of nights. I get all worked up before the full moon and the night of.”

“Hey, think nothing of it,” Bismuth said with a grin. She tousled Amethyst’s hair. “It’s nice to meet you properly. You’re cute as a button even in human form!”

Amethyst preened a little. “Heh… well… thanks…”

“Don’t get any ideas, Bismuth,” Pearl warned, although she was wearing a playful grin.   
  
“I know better!” Bismuth laughed.   
  
“Amethyst has something she needs to tell you both,” Pearl added, looking between Bismuth and Garnet with a serious expression. “But… not here. We all need to talk somewhere private.”  
  
“Alright… there doesn’t seem to be anyone home at this house, anyways…” Garnet said. She glanced at the house a final time. “The inn is a safe place, I think.”   
  
As the four of them walked from the house, back down the road, Lapis watched from the window of the dark house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl in the outfits I imagined them wearing in Chapter One. Amethyst is sans her cloak, though. I don't have an exact time period for Candlewood except "the days of yore" and going into detail to describe outfits in the writing feels so My Immortalish so I never do. Also I don't always know how to describe each item of clothing with the proper terms. 
> 
> Apologies again for the weird paragraph spacing. It's really tedious to go back and delete spaces so I just don't... It always looks fine in Word but then when I paste it in here it looks like garbage. It's because I do some writing on my phone in the word app and some writing on my desktop. But I don't know why the spacing always looks the same in the word document. 
> 
> Anyone who is familiar with my other stuff knows that I rarely write Lapis and I pretty much never write Jasper. And for good reason. I don't really know their characters very well! I know they're pretty polarizing characters in the fandom but I want to say I don't actually have any personal issues with either of them. This isn't really a fanfic about Lapis or Jasper or their relationship so hopefully it's not a big deal to anyone that they're the sort of antagonists. I also wanted to say that Jasper said "hermaphrodite" because I wanted it to sound kind of derogatory. I don't want to speak for a community I'm not a part of in any way, but I'm pretty sure "intersex" is the right term these days and "hermaphrodite" is considered more derogatory.


End file.
